


Changing The View

by easilydistractedbyfanfic



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Clarke is gonna fix 'em up, Cussing, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Only One Bed, and Bellamy's along for the ride, double fake relationship, murven - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-09-30 07:00:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 26,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17219141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/easilydistractedbyfanfic/pseuds/easilydistractedbyfanfic
Summary: Murphy and Raven have spent the last few years getting their company off the ground. Clarke has spent the last few years hoping they'd get together as more than just friends and business partners. When an opportunity comes around for her to nudge them together, will they finally see things in a different light?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Allengka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Allengka/gifts), [shoelaces](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shoelaces/gifts).



> This story is a direct result of a little chat about a double fake dating AU with some fellow The 100 fans. I owe the idea to them both, and - begrudgingly - I suppose I should say that Ivan and The Aunt had a little something to do with it as well. I still think it would be hilarious if they met! 
> 
> This story was meant to be short and sweet, but well... short is really not my area of expertise, I guess! I hope it might fulfill the sweet part, at least! Happy Holidays to both these lovely ladies - I hope you like the story you have inspired! And to all my fellow Murven fans who adore this pairing as much as I do, I wish you all a wonderful New Year! I have honestly been so inspired by the many wonderful comments I have received on past Murven stories, and I hope I can continue to write things that other fans will enjoy! Thank you for reading!
> 
> Lovely Moodboard created by tumblr user @youwereinmydaydreams in May 2019 - thank you so much! I absolutely love it!

 [](https://www.flickr.com/photos/170152452@N02/46967814915/in/dateposted-public/)

“Please, guys, we know this is a lot to ask, but I don’t think I can emphasize just how much this could do for our careers.” Raven Reyes looks pleadingly between her friends Clarke Griffin and Bellamy Blake as they sit across from her, and she knows that her business partner, John Murphy, seated on her right, is probably crossing his fingers as well.

 

Bellamy shakes his head in disbelief. “When you two offered to take Clarke and I out to dinner, this is not exactly what we were expecting.” They’re all in a booth at one of their favorite local restaurants, and it had been a relaxed round of catching up on the latest news between the four friends until Murphy had explained the predicament that he and Raven were facing.

 

“Look,” Murphy announced, “I’m aware it’s a shit thing to ask, but Raven and I are stuck. You guys know we’ve thrown everything into our company these last few years, including all our time. It’s starting to pay off, but neither one of us has had time to date and it’d be a lot better to bring people who really do know us so there’s no chance of fucking this up.”

 

Right after college graduation, Raven and Murphy had combined their skills to open an engineering and design firm together, Dropship Designs. Raven used her talents to create improved and futuristic versions of existing aeronautical design, often developing completely new concepts, and Murphy took care of the business end of advertising and selling her ideas to interested companies. They had started making a masterplan for Dropship back in their junior year in college, so although the company was relatively new, they had both been devoted to making it a reality for years, and had worked ceaselessly to bring it to fruition.

 

“When Dropship won that American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics award a few months ago because of Raven’s hard work, it really put us on the map in a whole new way.” Murphy turned and grinned in appreciation at his partner before continuing. “And now we’re on everyone’s radar. If we can go and do this, we’ll be meeting execs from Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon - all of ‘em! This kind of schmoozing opportunity is just priceless.”

 

“Hey! Don’t sell yourself short, Murphy. When you landed us that piece in the July issue of Aerospace, that industry magazine article started the buzz. Our phones have been busy ever since.” Raven knew that she was a pro at what she did - she’d been winning awards and scholarships since elementary school science fairs, but having Murphy as co-owner of Dropship allowed her to spend all her time doing what she did best - design on her own or with her team. He handled almost all other aspects of their company and the way he could read people and figure out how to get them to buy whatever he wanted to sell them was incredible. Raven was positive he could manage to sell ice to people living on a glacier, but too often he undervalued what he did for their company.

 

A brief but pleased look flits over his face at Raven’s comments before he smirks at Clarke and Bellamy, sitting back into his chair and folding his arms over his chest. “What she means is that Dropship Designs is hot right now. Everybody wants us, and if you two are willing to do us this tiny little favor, think of how grateful we’d be.”

 

“Tiny favor!” Bellamy snorts. “It doesn’t sound like a damn tiny favor to me! I mean, you want us to pretend…”

 

“Alright, hold on,” Clarke interrupts, gently laying a hand on Bellamy’s arm before he gets further riled up. “Raven, why don’t you run this by me one more time, please, so I’m sure I’m understanding exactly what it is we’d have to do.”

 

“Okay.” Raven nods. “Basically, this is the deal - one of the VIPs at NASA is known for inviting various executives from some of the bigger aeronautical companies up to his fancy ass mansion, which is of course at a ski resort to make it even more posh. He also invites some smaller company execs from various design firms - mostly up and comers, like us. It’s never more than ten to fifteen couples, from what we hear. We got an invitation to go for the first time, as co-owners of Dropship. So it really is an unbelievable chance for us. But there’s a catch - it’s for couples only. The NASA guy’s wife apparently loves to throw parties and show off her house, so everyone gets invited to stay there for a few days - for _free_ , by the way - but you’re supposed to be part of a couple in order to go. Supposedly that makes it less business-like or some crap.”

 

“Well, why can’t the two of you just pretend to be a couple and go?” Bellamy demands.

 

Murphy tilts his head and shrugs. “I said the same thing, and that’s what we figured we’d do. But then Raven talked to a contact she has about it and it doesn’t sound like a good idea.”

 

“Yeah, I reached out to a few other designers I know who graduated before me, trying to get some more information. Apparently a couple years ago, an owner took one of his female employees along to play as a couple and somehow it got found out that they weren’t dating and were just there to make deals and business contacts. The NASA executive and his wife were offended over being lied to, and that company has kind of been skipped over a lot ever since. It’s not going to be in our best interest to say that Murphy and I are together just for this trip, and then risk getting found out later as not being involved at all or no longer a couple. They know we’re business partners already - we want to keep it simple and just bring a girlfriend and boyfriend outside of the industry. Then when the inevitable ‘break-ups’ happen, it’s less suspicious.”

 

Leaning forward, Murphy’s voice takes on a wheedling tone. “And that’s why we want you two. Who else knows us better? Bell, you and I have known each other since high school, and Clarke and Raven met in college because of that douchebag they were both dating. And once you hooked up with Clarke, then we all met. We’ve got tons of shared history, we know each other’s family situations, and a few moments of holding hands, looking at each other dramatically and putting on a little show isn’t going to kill us.”

 

Clarke laughs. “Wow, Murphy, you make it sound so enjoyable!”

 

Their waitress comes over with all of their entrees, and the group is silent for a few moments as they all settle in with their dinners. Bellamy looks at his two friends across the table thoughtfully. “Alright. For the sake of argument, what exactly do you think ‘putting on a show’ is going to include?”

 

An excited gleam in her eyes, Raven quickly answers him. “Okay, well, keep in mind a key thing to remember is that we’d be staying in this huge, over the top mansion, with all the other couples. So we’d have to attend dinner parties, dress up probably, maybe dance, I don’t know. There’d be lots of stiff politeness, small talk, drinks - all that awful and boring crap I know we all hate. We’d probably have to hold hands sometimes, like Murphy said, but also maybe a few brief kisses? Arms around each other’s waists? General looking like a couple stuff - holding doors open, pulling out chairs, carrying luggage, laughing if the other one makes a joke... Oh, and we’d have to share a bedroom during the trip, but it’s only like five days. My contact told me that during the day, there might be a few events for just the industry people, which would let you guys off the hook, but other than that, everyone is free to ski or snowboard and explore the nearby resort or whatever.”

 

Exchanging a glance with Bellamy, it’s Clarke who answers. “How about we finish our dinners while Bellamy and I think it over, okay? And then once we finish, you guys go over to the bar and give us a little time to talk about it together.”

 

Raven lifts an eyebrow in Murphy’s direction, and he nods in response to the unspoken question in her eyes. He knows she’s telling him not to push and to let Bell and Clarke handle this the way they feel comfortable. And he definitely doesn’t want to spook them, considering their help really would provide such a huge boost to Dropship Design.

 

“Yeah, however you two want to handle it is fine by us,” he agrees, and Raven’s admiring smile makes him glad he’s putting in the effort to be patient about this when in all honesty, if it was up to him he’d probably just start pestering Bellamy about all the past favors he can call in so that he gets his way.

 

**************

 

“Do you think they’re going to agree to this?” Raven asks him, as he pulls out a stool at the bar for her, making it easier for her to climb onto it with the brace on her leg.

 

Murphy takes a quick look over his shoulder, back towards the booth they shared with Bellamy and Clarke. Their dinners finished, they left the two of them alone to discuss the situation. The bartender comes over and asks for their order, and Murphy orders a whiskey on the rocks for himself and a glass of Pinot Noir for Raven, since that’s what she always gets when they’re out for dinner together. Unless it’s a business dinner, then she abstains or has a Chardonnay.

 

“They’re gonna do it.”

 

“What makes you so sure?” Raven picks up her wine and takes a sip when the bartender sets it in front of her, her eyes closing in delight at the taste.

 

“Trust me,” he grins, and Raven rolls her eyes, elbowing him in the side.

 

“C’mon, Murphy. Talk me down because I’m nervous! This could be our chance to get Dropship financially solvent for years to come, and then we can afford to hire more employees and take on more projects. I have so many ideas we could implement! But it could also mean I might have to kiss Bellamy and piss off Clarke, neither of which I want to do… Is it bad that I really don’t want us to miss out on this, though, even if we do have to pretend to be couples? I couldn’t blame them if they say no.”

 

He puts his drink down on the bar and turns his body further towards her, reaching out to squeeze her palm where it rests on her knee and a familiar reassuring expression on his face. “We’re not going to miss this chance,” he promises her. “I’m not gonna let anything mess this up for us. We’ve been working too hard and as soon as those execs get in the same room as you to hear about your passion for future design, we’ll have contracts pouring in. They’re going to say yes, but even if they don’t, I don’t want you to worry about it. I’ll find a way to make it happen.”

 

Raven’s concern starts to fade as she listens to Murphy’s words. After the last two years of working on their business plan, pooling their money, taking out loans and starting their company together, he’s so good at making her feel confident and she knows she can count on him. She turns her palm over on her knee and links her fingers through his, giving him a squeeze in return. “Sometimes I still can’t believe I hated you when Clarke first introduced us. You were such a dick back then.”

 

“I still am, it’s just that you’ve gotten used to me,” he insists. She smiles indulgently at his assertion, but she knows the truth. After she got past the rough edges, Murphy is one of the best people she knows, and she’s grateful to have him in her life.

 

***************

 

“I know we’re going to do this, but I don’t want to do this.” Bellamy groans, looking at Clarke with dismay.

 

“Bell, this could be what I’ve been waiting for! I swear, those two are perfect for each other and you know it! But for the last two years and then some, they’ve spent all their time together planning for their company and now running it and trying to make it successful. My god, they practically live at Dropship anymore. Murphy even ordered a pullout couch for his office and sleeps there half the time!” Clarke grabs his hand and shakes it excitedly, her tone beseeching. “They haven’t had any chance to be jealous of anyone coming between them other than a few half-hearted dating attempts in college, so they’re both content with how things are now. But just imagine if we could raise the stakes a little - wouldn’t it be perfect if at least one of them started to realize how they really feel?”

 

“Clarke, babe… I don’t want you to get your hopes up over this. I know you think they’re right for each other, and maybe they are, I don’t know. You gotta let them figure it out though.”

 

“I know, I know. You’re right, but I can’t help it. I just want them to be happy like we are.”

 

Bellamy smiles and leans over for a kiss. “That’s my girl, always looking out. Alright, I don’t like the idea of you pretending to date Murphy, but even I can’t deny that this is an incredible chance for them and they deserve it after all the effort they’ve been putting in. I’m willing to do this, but I’ve got a couple of conditions they’re gonna have to agree to, or the deal is off.”

 

After hearing what Bellamy wants, Clarke laughs with approval. “It might require some juggling so we don’t get caught, but you, Bellamy Blake, are a devious man and I love you for it! If this vacation doesn’t push them together, I don’t know what will!”

 

***************

 

The new year comes before they know it, and the first Friday in February finds them awake incredibly early and loading up Clarke’s older model Jeep Cherokee for the long drive to Maine. Due to the anticipated dressier dinners, there are a few garment bags hanging up behind Bellamy, who decides to take the first driving shift. Clarke grabs the passenger side, eliciting good-natured protests from Murphy when he gets relegated to the back behind Clarke. He’s got it better than Raven though, who’s smushed into the middle of the back seat with the garment bags on one side and Murphy on the other.

 

“Clarke, I get that your Jeep was the best choice for this drive since we’re headed up to the mountains and snow, and I’m grateful you’re letting us all take it, but just so you know - I can feel every single bump in the road from this position,” Raven teases.

 

“Hey, don’t listen to her, my darling Jeep,” Clarke pats the dashboard. “We’ve been through a lot together, me and this vehicle. She’s never been to Maine before though.” Clarke looks over her shoulder at Raven and grins, because Raven actually is right about the shocks back there. It’s not the most comfortable seat in the car, that’s for sure. “Maybe you can drive next, Raven, and we’ll make Bellamy and Murphy crowd together.”

 

“Oh hell no, there’s no way we’d both fit.” Murphy has his left arm along the back of the seat behind Raven, trying to give her more room, but there’s not a lot of space even so, and his legs are definitely unable to stretch out. “I’ll take a shift driving when you’re ready for a break, Bell, and then the rest of you can fight it out over who gets crammed back here.”

 

“I dunno, Murphy. Maybe I’ll just drive the entire way and leave you stuck back there.” Bellamy discreetly winks at Clarke, knowing she’ll like his effort to keep Raven and Murphy in close proximity for as long as he can. He sees a little upwards twitch of her lips and figures she’s on to his game.

 

Murphy nudges Raven with his knee. “I told you we should fly.”

 

“Maybe it would have been easier to fly,” Clarke concedes, “but this reminds me of our college road trips, and it’s been too long since we’ve had one. Anyway, once you two get all this new business - thanks to me and Bell acting as your devoted arm candy - you’ll be too busy for us to do this for a while. So everybody suck up the togetherness and enjoy it while it lasts! And like all of our road trips that started too early in the morning, I am now going to take advantage of not driving and try to catch up on some sleep so I’m not a complete grump later. And that goes for you, too, Raven, since we all know you get the crankiest when you’re tired.” Clarke pushes her travel pillow up alongside the window and leans against it, shutting her eyes and fully intending to get in at least a short nap.

 

“I would take offense at that if we all didn’t already know it’s true,” Raven mumbles, and angles her hips closer to Murphy so as not to wrinkle the dresses hanging inside the garment bags.

 

***************

 

About two hours pass before Clarke wakes up and stretches her neck, looking over at Bellamy in the driver’s seat. He must notice her movement because he glances over with an affectionate smile.

 

“Get a good rest, Princess?”

 

“Mmmm, as good as it gets in the car, anyway. You still doing okay driving?”

 

“Yep, no problems here. Although I’ve been a little lonely - check out the back.”

 

Clarke scrunches her nose in confusion, but as soon as she looks behind her, she understands what Bellamy means. Raven and Murphy are also both asleep, curled up so adorably that Clarke immediately pulls out her phone to take a picture to taunt them with later. Raven’s leaned over on Murphy as close as her seat belt will allow, her head tucked on his shoulder and her arm wrapped around his middle. His arm is around her, his head resting against hers. “Ohh, you know what? I’m gonna blow up this picture for their wedding and brag that it was you and me that finally got them together.”

 

“Clarke…” Bellamy gives her a warning glare and then concentrates on the road again.

 

“I know, I know… but you know I’m right. Listen, you and I got together and since then we’ve merged our friend groups and what has happened during that time? Monty and Harper got together. Jasper and Maya got together. We introduced Murphy and Raven _first_ but they’re both so damned stubborn and slow and they just don’t see how much they rely on each other. I have a good feeling about the next couple of days. This is going to work, I’m sure of it.”

 

Bellamy shakes his head in exasperation. There’s no talking Clarke down when she has her mind set on something. A part of him thinks he might owe Murphy a warning about all this, but another part of him actually thinks that Clarke is right and his best friend and Raven are a good fit. But the biggest part of all has absolutely no desire to stop Clarke’s fun, so he knows he’s going to shut his mouth and go along, and he really can’t bring himself to feel that badly about it.

 

***************

 

They stop about an hour away from their destination to get some food since they’re all starving, and as soon as Raven gets out of the car, she moans in approval at the feeling of stretching her legs. “Oh, that is soooo much better.”

 

“Yeah, I’m gonna walk around for a bit before we sit down. I’ll see you guys inside.” Murphy strides off into the parking lot, and Raven’s half tempted to join him, knowing it’ll help her leg. But she’s also in need of the bathroom, so she goes inside with Clarke and Bellamy, and once she leaves her coat at the table they were shown to, she excuses herself and walks in the direction of the restrooms.

 

She’s at the sink, finger combing her hair, when she feels her phone vibrate in her back pocket. There’s no one else around, so she takes a look at the message. It’s a picture of her and Murphy, sleeping in the backseat of the Jeep, and Clarke sent it to both of them with the comment ‘Aww, look how cozy’. When she’d woken up from her nap, she’d known she’d been leaning against him, but it hadn’t felt like that big of a deal when she’d just removed her arm from around his waist and lifted her head, his own arm coming off her shoulder and back onto the rear seat behind her like he’d just been waiting for her to wake so he could move it.

 

Now though… Looking at the way she was cuddled against Murphy and the relaxed expression on both of their faces gives her a funny twinge in her stomach that she isn’t sure how to interpret. She quickly types out her own response, wanting to keep it as light as possible, simply sending a ‘Thanks for the pillow, Murphy’. She’s staring at the picture, trying to decipher her feelings, when his reply comes. All he says is ‘any time’, and before she thinks too hard about it, she touches the heart at the top of the photo, making it a favorite and then clears the screen. Uncertainty has never sat well with her, so she puts the image of the two of them out of her mind and goes back out to join the others.

 

The four of them are finishing their late lunch when Murphy pulls a slip of paper from his pocket and hands it to Bellamy. “There’s three excuses on here I want you to memorize. If you use them up, I’ll give you more. If we’re going to abide by your two demands, we’ve got to be careful to at least have a plausible excuse if we do get caught being in the wrong room.”

 

Bellamy looks over the list with a slight grin. “You don’t think I can come up with my own excuse on the spur of the moment?”

 

“Let’s just say I don’t want to take any chances,” Murphy retorted. “You said your two non-negotiables were that you wanted to sleep in the same room as Clarke and that no fake kisses could include tongue - and believe me, I don’t think anyone was planning to do that, anyway.” Murphy pauses and looks at Bellamy with disapproval, but Bellamy only laughs. “When we get there, Raven and Clarke can figure out whichever rooms we’re getting and we’ll just put our suitcases where we’re gonna be - but only the girls can ever answer the door if someone knocks so we can keep things straight. And if Bell and I are in the ‘wrong’ rooms at the time, we go into the bathroom and turn on the shower and stay there until the person at the door goes away, got it? And if we _do_ get caught in the wrong room or heading to the wrong room, you use one of the excuses on that list, alright? I’ve already got my own list memorized.”

 

Clarke leans over and looks at the paper in Bellamy’s grasp. “Really, Murphy? This is a pretty deep level of planning, even for you. I think we can probably handle it in the moment.”

 

“No, no offense to both of you,” Raven interjects, looking between Bellamy and Clarke, “but I think Murphy’s right about this. I trust you guys, of course I do, but I don’t want to risk becoming ostracized by some big names in our industry, and it sounds like this NASA guy could do it if he was feeling vengeful because he thought we offended his hospitality or something. You two get to share a room each night and on the days when Murphy and I are stuck doing events with just the business group, you can go where you want with the Jeep and we can easily pass it off as the four of us being friends for so long, so that’s why you’re hanging out when we’re not available. But when other people are around, you _have_ to look like only friends with each other and devoted to the two of us instead.”

 

With a dramatic gesture, Bellamy lays his arm across the table to take Raven’s hand, his voice taking on a deliberate syrupy-sweet tone. “Oh, sweetheart, I _am_ that devoted to you.”

 

Raven rolls her eyes. “Yeah, you’re really selling it, Bell. Totally believable. Maybe it would be best if you and Clarke were both the lovestruck but silent types.”

 

Clarke starts to laugh at Raven’s deadpan advice. “You might not be that wrong, Raven. I’ll just look at Murphy and bat my eyelashes a lot while I send him longing looks and put my arm around him. That should do it, right?”

 

Murphy shakes his head. “Suddenly I’m feeling a lot less confident in the acting skills of our little quartet,” he grumbles. “Let’s get back on the road. From what we hear from Raven’s contacts, the first night is supposed to be a small welcome reception for just the industry reps, which means the two of you get to kick back and relax, but Raven and I have to get settled in, dressed up and be ready to kiss ass. The more time I have to mentally prepare for potential disaster, the better, so hurry up. Bellamy, you want a break driving or what?”

 

“I know how much you’re enjoying that backseat, Murphy, so I can’t let you give that up for me. Besides, if I keep driving, I get to control the radio, and you three have terrible taste in music.”

 

“Hey!” Clarke and Raven both object at the same time while Murphy only shrugs, entirely unoffended, but Bellamy just grins and shakes the car keys.

 

***************

 

Not quite two hours later, Murphy finishes hanging up some of his shirts in the closet of the room that Raven chose for them. They had been met at the door of the insanely huge residence by a group of staff who had unloaded their luggage and then parked the Jeep in the garage, while the four of them had been handed schedules of the next few days and given a brief tour followed by being shown to the wing of the house with the guest rooms. Murphy scoffed to himself - as if they could be called ‘rooms’ when they were much more like a hotel suite. Each room had names on the door that corresponded to ski runs on the nearby mountain, and Clarke and Raven had excitedly discussed the two rooms they’d been offered. Clarke wanted Spruce Peak because it had a fireplace, and Raven had been satisfied with that since she’d preferred the room labeled White Cap with its larger bathtub along with the walk-in shower. Murphy didn’t care at all, although he’d had a moment of pause when he’d entered and the single queen-sized bed had caught his attention. Obviously he had known he and Raven would be sharing as soon as Bellamy and Clarke made it clear that being in separate rooms was a deal-breaker for them, but it felt more real now that they were in the room itself.

 

Raven’s making herself at home on the bed, reviewing the schedule they’ve been given. “It looks like they’re serving a ‘light dinner’ via room delivery around five o’clock - my god, this house has room service - and after that, we basically just have to get ready for the reception at eight. And my friend was right - the reception is only for us, not significant others. There’s a few events on here like some dinners and cocktail events where it will be all of the guests, but there’s also plenty of events where it’s only going to be the executives and business insiders like us.” She looks up and watches Murphy refold his pants and put them in a drawer. “That’s kind of a relief.”

 

He glances over his shoulder at her and raises his eyebrow. “I’m surprised to hear you say that. You normally hate the business events where we have to make nice.”

 

“True, but I don’t have to fake anything with you - we’re just us. I mean, plastering on the big smiles and feigned interest isn’t my favorite, but there won’t be that additional stress of acting like I’m in love with Bellamy or trying not to laugh at his attempts to pretend he’s in love with me.”

 

Grinning, Murphy opens the closet door wider to see there’s a folding ironing board inset into the wall, and he immediately opens it up and grabs the combination iron and steamer inside, skimming the instructions on the label. “Bellamy’ll be the one who struggles the most with this, I have no doubt. He sucks at lying. I’m kinda bummed I don’t get to just sit back and watch this unfold, ‘cause you know it’s going to be weird. And speaking of folding, I’m going to steam a couple of my shirts and pants that got more wrinkled than I’d like. You want me to do anything of yours while I’m at it?”

 

“Wow, this hotel already has great service and it’s only our first day. I’m gonna leave a fantastic review,” she teases.

 

“Yeah, yeah, don’t forget the tip, that’s what really matters. Get out what you want me to steam if you’re ever going to unpack. You can have the shower first, and if we’re supposed to do dinner in our rooms tonight, I don’t want dibs on the bathroom until after we eat. Do you want to call next door and see what they might be planning? Oh, and remind them that it has to be Clarke who answers the knock when they bring the room service dinner!”

 

“On it.” Raven picks up the phone and dials their room, learning that their two friends are looking to enjoy a quiet night in with their fancy bathroom and fireplace. Raven chats for a few minutes and passes on Murphy’s instructions, also telling Clarke she doesn’t expect to be finished the reception until eleven or later, and that she and Murphy will see them in the morning for breakfast. When she’s finished, she hangs up and follows Murphy’s movements as he steams a navy blue collared shirt. “They’re staying in, so I think we can mark our arrival day as safe. Let’s hope the walls are thick around here, though, ‘cause you know what they’re going to be doing. Maybe they’ll tire themselves out by the time we get back here tonight.”

 

“Cross your fingers,” Murphy drawls, and Raven heaves herself off the cushy bed with a sigh, ready to finish her unpacking before she has to start getting ready for the reception.

 

Not long after her amazing shower with all the modern water spray nozzles, she’s sitting in front of the window with Murphy, after he hid in the bathroom while their dinner was spread out on the table for them by one of the members of the staff who brought it to their door. Raven’s wrapped in one of the plush robes that were provided in the bathroom, and although she joked with Murphy before about this being a hotel, it really does feel like one since the place is so enormous and offers so many amenities. She pushes her wet hair back behind her ear and takes another bite of the rosemary chicken on her plate. “These people clearly have to have more money than just from NASA, right? I mean, they can’t possibly pay well enough for a place like this, can they?”

 

Murphy finishes chewing and nods. “It’s not really his money, although I’m sure he contributes. He married some high society heiress years ago, and from what I read up on, she dabbles in philanthropy and the opera and this house - if you can really call it that - has been featured in a few magazine spreads too.”

 

“Oh, man. I’m not going to have anything in common with her and will have no idea what to say when I meet her later tonight.”

 

“Just compliment something specific about this room and say how much you’re looking forward to your visit and you’ll be fine. Besides, we got them especially nice host and hostess gifts, so even if you mess it up, we’ll still make a very good impression.” Murphy gives her a satisfied grin that she almost misses due to the quick flash of panic running through her.

 

“A gift? We were supposed to bring something? Why didn’t you tell me, I didn’t even think about that, and oh my god of course we should thank them for inviting us and why didn’t I think about that?” Her eyes have widened in dismay and Murphy can’t resist a laugh at her expense.

 

“Relax, Raven. I took care of it already. This is the stuff on my list, not yours. They’re going to like what I brought, I have no doubt about that. But about the reception tonight, I’m hoping we can try to stick together as much as we can. I want to mostly try and fly under the radar and let you take the lead in the conversations if we can steer it that way.”

 

Raven scrunches her nose in irritation. “That is the opposite of what I was hoping you’d say. Not the sticking together part, but the part where you want me to do the talking.”

 

“You know, for someone who professes not to want to talk to other people, you sure talk to me a helluva lot,” Murphy points out. “Everyone tonight is looking to talk with you, anyway. You’re a hot new designer with an eye towards innovation and they know it. I want to hear what they talk to you about, so I wanna stick together and play a little quiet - as soon as they ask you a question or make a comment on one of your projects, I’ll know exactly how to tailor a pitch to them.”

 

Sipping from her water glass, Raven leans forward, interested in Murphy’s tactics. “How will you know?”

 

He shrugs and waves his palm dismissively. “It’s easy. Like I already know that Boeing recently took a new contract for five more of their latest model airliners, right? They aren’t going to be looking for any new designs for a while, but they _will_ be interested in how they can make the third, fourth and fifth builds more streamlined and with better efficiency than what build one and two will have. They’ll want to keep improving each new plane but aren’t looking to reinvent it. So they’ll be more inclined to bite if we bait the hook with comments about the stabilizers you’re working on. That’s smaller stuff, yeah, but of course we still want that kind of contract. But tonight, if someone starts to ask you about your latest project or they bring up questions for where you see future design going, then we’ll know that they’re shopping for the kind of project we really want a piece of, and we should target them with a higher priority for the rest of our time here.”

 

“See, this right here is exactly why I get annoyed with you all the time, Murphy! You’re always downplaying your contributions to Dropship compared to mine, but there’s no way I could do what you do. _This_ is the stuff that you’re good at, and we’d never have gotten this far without your skills.” Raven stretches her arm across the table and grasps his wrist to emphasize her point. “I wish I could make you understand how much of a relief it is for me to let you handle these kinds of things so I can just focus on design and dreaming up new ideas. I wouldn’t be a partner in my own company if we hadn’t done this together - I’d be working for one of the big names, they’d own everything I ever come up with and I wouldn’t have the level of freedom with concepts that I do on my own.” Murphy looks almost embarrassed at her praise, but she’s not finished. “Anyway, maybe I haven’t said it, but there’s nobody else I’d rather be doing this with. And even though we’ve basically sold our lives away in order to get Dropship off the ground, and neither of us has been on an actual date in way too long, it’s not really that bad of a trade-off no matter how much I bitch about it.”

 

“I’m tempted to make a joke here about who you are and what you’ve done with my real partner,” Murphy grins, and Raven rolls her eyes and tries to shove his arm out of her way, but Murphy is too fast for her and quickly links her fingers with his. “But even I’m not that much of an ass… well, maybe I am, but still. I can recognize sincerity when I hear it. We make a good team, and I don’t want to be doing this with anybody else either.” He looks for a moment like he might say something more, but when he doesn’t, the air around them is still and silent with the heavy words between them. Their eyes are locked on each other, and Raven feels her breath stutter in her chest at the connection that’s risen between them. Murphy’s thumb rubs along the back of her hand, and the image of the two of them curled together in Clarke’s backseat flickers through her memory at the same time his touch leaves behind a prickling under her skin.

 

She pulls her hand back into her lap and blinks her eyes a few times in rapid succession to clear her fuzzy mind. His own arm reacts more slowly as it retreats, though his eyes are still on hers. An uncertain smile crosses her face. “I should start getting dressed if we don’t want to be late. Let me get the blow dryer out of the bathroom and then you can have your shower.”

 

He just nods and starts to put their dishes back onto the tray it was delivered on. When he gathers his own clothes and takes them into the bathroom, she drops heavily onto the bed and wonders what the hell that was.

 

***************

 

The welcome reception is in full swing, and for the most part Raven believes it’s going well so far. It’s a lot of older men, as per usual, who are representing most of the companies, but there’s a better mix of women than what she normally sees, so she’ll count the guest list as a positive for her hosts. Although as far as she’s concerned, that may be the only pro in the hostess column for Mrs. Elaine Foster, the wife of the NASA executive, Michael Foster. She and Murphy had met the couple almost as soon as they’d arrived in the large lounge, and at first Raven had been nervous, wanting to make a good impression. But that was until Mrs. Foster had eyed Murphy up and down and trailed her fingers along his arm as he’d shaken her hand, and Raven had instantly hated her. They’d made small talk for a few minutes, and she had remembered her manners and made polite conversation, including some genuine compliments on the house and her room, but it was difficult to keep the indignant look off her face when Mrs. Foster kept making a point to reach out and touch Murphy at every opportunity.

 

Thankfully, they hadn’t spent too much time with the Fosters since the couple was determined to mingle with all of their guests, but Raven occasionally darted her eyes around the room and wasn’t surprised to see Mrs. Foster casually glancing in Murphy’s direction more times than not. She tried to stick to Murphy’s plan and take the lead in the conversations with most of the other visitors, but her uneasy response to the conspicuous flirting remained in the back of her mind all evening. For his part, Murphy seemed unaware, and other than being quieter than his usual behavior, she thought he was going to be pleased with the way all of their interactions were going with the various executives from industry giants. Based on his feedback earlier, Raven made attempts to steer the discussions one way or another, and he was right that they’d often ask her about specific projects depending on their own interests. Murphy was bound to have a mental list of which companies had jumped to the top of his priority list after this, she was sure.

 

If she didn’t count Elaine Foster, Raven couldn’t remember ever before enjoying herself more at a work function. At past events, she and Murphy would split up, taking a divide and conquer plan of action in order to meet with the most people and promote Dropship Designs. As a company just starting out, they both stretched themselves thin in order to cultivate business and prospective clients. And she never really talked about it with him because it was just so prevalent in the field, but Raven was frequently condescended to all those times she’d had to socialize on her own, because that’s just how so many of the older men in aeronautics behaved around women who had dared to excel in the subject, and Raven had experienced it for years. But with Murphy by her side, the attitudes suddenly changed, and while it was incredibly frustrating, it was also a welcome respite. Not to mention he’d been grabbing her a glass of Chardonnay whenever hers had been low, so that didn’t hurt.

 

By the time the reception wound down and they said their goodnights - capped off by yet another vampish display from Mrs. Foster - Raven was feeling deliciously buzzed during the walk back to their room. At one point, Murphy had lightly grasped her elbow and guided her over to one of the many small seating nooks tucked around the massive property.

 

“All the other guests are walking back down that hallway now. Let’s let ‘em pass so no one sees that we’re going into the same room,” he leans in to tell her, his voice low. “If anyone asks, we’re discussing how the reception went.”

 

“I’m glad one of us is capable of thinking ahead right now. That last glass of wine pushed me past my normal limit, I think.” Raven sinks back into the comfortable leather chair, fingers gliding back and forth along the smooth armrest.

 

“Considering we probably drank some of the most expensive alcohol we’ve ever had, maybe it makes you feel it quicker. I could get used to this level of pretentious comfort, though. My drinks were strong all night, and it was nice not to have to make the same old small talk and let you discuss things you’re actually interested in.” That was probably his favorite thing about the evening, he thinks, just watching her excitedly talk about concepts and theories with people who both understood and appreciated her imagery and the way her imagination fueled so many of her ideas. Too often he was stuck in sales pitches and mental calculations during his own business conversations, but tonight he was able to dial that back somewhat and let her take the lead. By doing so, he was reminded once again just how brilliant she was, and it only served to reinforce his determination to make this long weekend a success.

 

“Yeah, for once it _was_ enjoyable. No constant interrupting, mansplaining and patronizing bullshit like I normally get. Who knew all I’d have to do to get most of the sexism to stop would be to have another man tag along with me?”

 

Murphy cocks his head at her, his brows furrowing in concern. He’s not stupid, he knows she’s a woman in a very male-dominated field, but it gnaws at him to know how she’s been treated. “I hate that it’s like that for you. You’re so much smarter than they are, but I know they don’t wanna see that. You know if there’s someone that you don’t want to work with, we’re not so desperate for business that we have to take their project, right? I mean, the goal is to get to the point in the near future where maybe we can cut back on these schmoozing events and just let your ideas speak for themselves. And we’re so close to that point, I think. Then you won’t have to put up with so much of that shit.”

 

“I know, and I appreciate it. After all these years, I’m so used to it that it feels strange _not_ to deal with it, which was why tonight was fun. Besides, not that I’m excusing it or anything, but I’d honestly rather deal with the arrogant jerks rather than the ones that just hit on me like I’m only there as some kind of prop. Maybe this is a better crowd, I don’t know, but I didn’t get any of that foolishness tonight either, and it’s all probably because once we introduced ourselves as business partners, they were afraid to act like idiots and embarrass themselves in front of you.”

 

A flicker of anger washes over his face, knowing that she’s probably right, and he almost wishes one of the men they’d dealt with tonight had so much as tried to step out of line, just so he could have had the satisfaction of shutting that crap down. Before he can say anything, though, Raven gazes at him with an inscrutable look in her eye.

 

“I guess tonight was about the shoe being on the other foot for a change,” she contended, and now he’s even more bewildered. His face must show his confusion, because she laughs. “Don’t tell me you don’t know what I’m talking about. The social butterfly we were introduced to known as Mrs. Elaine Foster was flirting with you like crazy, and right under her husband’s nose, too.”

 

Murphy’s eyes widen in disbelief. “Really?”

 

“Seriously, Murphy,” Raven asks incredulously. “I don’t know how you could have missed it.” She looks up at him from under her lashes and in a deliberate move, she leans forward and lets her fingers touch his bare wrist and then dance up his arm to rest near his elbow, her other hand on his knee and her voice breathier than usual when she addresses him. “It’s so nice to meet you, John. I can call you John, can’t I?”

 

Maybe he didn’t see the way their hostess was acting with him, but he’s not missing Raven’s imitation of it, and he clears his throat, his own voice a little tight when he answers her. “I didn’t pick up on that.”

 

Her eyebrow raises delicately at his admission, but she doesn’t move away from him. “She was touching you at every opportunity, and you didn’t pick up on that? I know you’re not _that_ oblivious, Murphy.”

 

She’s right, he’s not normally ignorant about these things, and he’s definitely noticing the hell out of _her_ hands, which are still resting along his knee and elbow. “I guess I had other things on my mind, not that I’d be interested anyway.” Since he’s watching her carefully, he sees something change in her eyes then, but she’s always been a puzzle to him and now is no different. They stare at each other and time seems to stretch as he wonders about things he has no business wondering about, but then her fingers slip away, taking her warmth with them. His gaze roams over her as she stands, and the knot in his stomach loosens when she offers him a small smile in the darkened alcove.

 

“I bet the others are in their rooms at this point. Let’s get some sleep.” Raven turns and walks down the deserted hallway towards their door, and as he begins to follow, he can’t help but think that somewhere between the backseat of Clarke’s Jeep and that last unfathomable look in her eye, he’s a lot less certain of his interactions with Raven than he was yesterday.

 

***************

 

It’s close to two in the morning and Murphy’s counting down to when the alarm will go off, figuring that if he could just fall asleep right _now_ , he’d get a whole five hours of rest before having to climb out of bed. But his brain won’t shut down and he’s been laying on the comfortable mattress in frustration, his thoughts racing through his mind in an unending cycle.

 

They’d made it into their room without anyone taking any notice of them, and Raven had immediately kicked off her shoes and pawed through her drawers for pajamas. She’d asked for the bathroom first, and when she’d come out, her face was scrubbed clean from the makeup she’d worn to the reception, her clothes folded over her arm and wearing an oversized t-shirt emblazoned with a rocket and the words “Ask Me About Rocket Science” on it. He’d laughed and she’d blushed faintly and told him it was a gift from Sinclair, a favorite professor of hers who had evolved into a friend and mentor. When he had emerged from the bathroom himself, she had been sitting on the bed, her brace on the floor while she brushed her hair, and she’d asked him if he’d had a preference on which side he slept on. He’d shrugged and taken the side she wasn’t on, the one closer to the door, and flipped back the covers, setting his phone alarm before lying back to stare up at the ceiling, feeling a vague sense of restlessness.

 

Of course it wasn’t the first time that they had slept in the same place - starting a company together had set them on a course for late nights many times over, and they even had toothbrushes at each other’s apartments for that exact reason. Falling asleep on the couch while reviewing a sales pitch or having a working dinner together and then agreeing to stay over when the time got away from them was different, though. Sleeping in the same bed was new. He had never spent so much of his time with anyone before Raven came along, and yesterday he would have said that they knew each other incredibly well. But while he listened to her climb under the covers beside him in the shadows of an unfamiliar bedroom, he felt completely out of his element and almost as if she was a stranger, and it had made him nervous.

 

He rolls to his side in the darkened room, facing Raven curled up on the pillow beside him. Unlike him, she had seemed to have no trouble falling asleep, turning off her lamp with a brief ‘goodnight’. He wants to resent that a little, but mostly he’s glad at least one of them is getting some rest. He’d had fun with her tonight, and not just at the reception, either. It had felt like they were getting away with something when he’d darted into the bathroom when the dinner delivery had come, and they’d laughed about it as they started in on the delicious food. She’d sat across from him wearing that soft looking robe, her hair wet and the scent of her soap thick in the air, and it occurred to him that the level of comfort they had with each other was unlike any other relationship he’d ever had with a woman before.

 

She hadn’t liked him when they first met, that wasn’t a secret. He’d hung out with Clarke and Bell a few times after Bellamy had started dating her, and one night Raven had come with Clarke to dinner, and that had been the beginning of it. They laugh about it now, but he could admit that he’d been too cocky, definitely more of a jerk back then. She hadn’t taken any of his crap though, and even before they’d found a tentative truce between them and had become friends, he had respected the hell out of her. He’d thought about her as something more, every little while, because certainly he had eyes in his head, but they’d danced around it and flirted a bit and then it seemed that the moment had passed, because then they were the kind of friends where he would have missed her too much if they’d’ve fucked it up. They’d each dated other students here and there during college, and yeah, there’d been some jealousy on his part. But he’d always thought that it was because when she was seeing someone else, she hadn’t come around as often, hadn’t been as available, and he’d missed her. But then eventually none of it had mattered because they’d started to seriously consider starting a company together, and after that… neither of them had any free time anymore. They were together or with Clarke and Bellamy and their other friends, and he’d liked it that way. Raven would complain sometimes, that she never had time to date or meet anyone, and often he’d just placate her and agree at the unfairness of it… but he didn’t actually feel that way.

 

Looking at her across the small space between them, her face relaxed in sleep and her hair tumbled around the pillow, he thinks maybe he’s been a fucking idiot. They’d been busy, and they’d built something incredible with their company, sure, but he’d had her to himself all this time and he hadn’t even understood that he didn’t miss dating because he got to spend all his time with _Raven_ , and even if everything was just platonic, he’d made it into enough. He’d somehow succeeded in making his relationship with her the most important one in his life, but in the process he’d convinced himself that all he’d felt for her was friendship and now it’s suddenly sinking in that he’s been deluding himself, probably for years. He should have known something was seriously going on when he’d felt that tightening in his chest as he’d stared at the photo of the two of them wrapped together in Clarke’s backseat earlier in the day, but he’d convinced himself that it was some kind of strange hunger pang, because yeah, fucking delusional idiot is right. The realization that he might actually be in love with Raven feels like a stab to the gut with a knife of truth, and he has no idea what should come next.

 

 _Falling asleep is not going to be in the cards tonight_ , he thinks with a muffled groan, _but that’s what I get for being a fucking idiot_.

 

***************

 

Clarke finishes putting her lipstick on the next evening before dinner and walks out of the bathroom to see Bellamy sitting on the edge of the bed, putting on his shoes. “Are you ready for our first event in the spotlight,” she teases him.

 

He looks up and smiles. “I think I can manage, but I might need help walking to and from the dining room after all that exercise on the slopes today.” Clarke laughs and rubs his shoulders, and he relaxes under her touch.

 

“It was great though. It’s been too long since the four of us got to have some fun together outside of just a random night once a month. I’ve missed Raven and Murphy, even though I know they have good reason not to be around. Did they seem a little… tense... to you, though?”

 

Bellamy shrugs under her hands. “Murphy said he hadn’t gotten much sleep last night, although they both thought that the opening reception went well. He wasn’t that talkative, now that you mention it, but they’re probably just nervous about wanting to make good impressions while they’re here.”

 

“Yeah, maybe. I don’t know, though… Raven seemed a little off when she and I went shopping and for the pedicures while you and Murphy were snowboarding. And they didn’t really talk that much to each other at lunch either.” They’d woken up that morning and all gone down to breakfast in what was called the ‘small dining room’, putting their fake relationships on display for the first time, but not many of the other guests were in attendance since it had been relatively early. Afterwards they’d taken the Jeep to the nearby ski resort, and Bellamy and Murphy had gone off together for some snowboarding, but with Raven’s injured leg, she’d never enjoyed the slopes quite as much as the rest of them had, so Clarke had joined her for some shopping and bonding, and then the four of them had met back up again for a late lunch before eventually coming back to the mansion to get cleaned up for the first big dinner with all the other guests. Tomorrow, Raven and Murphy had some scheduled daytime events with the other rocket science people, as Murphy sometimes referred to them as, and Clarke planned to get some snowboarding in with Bellamy then.

 

She stands up and watches as Bellamy puts on his suit jacket and adjusts his tie in the mirror, smoothing the fabric of her own dress to make sure it’s not wrinkled. “Anyway, whatever it was, you and I both look like great trophy partners, and I’m sure we’ll do them proud. Remember, we want it to look real, but we also want to make them jealous, so hold her hand, touch her arm or her back, put your arm around her and generally pretend the sun shines out of her eyeballs, especially if Murphy is watching.”

 

“Okay, first of all - I don’t think that’s how that saying goes,” he laughs, “and secondly, Clarke Griffin, you are a strange woman, encouraging me to flirt _on purpose_ with your best friend.”

 

Leaning in on her toes, she gently kisses his upturned mouth. “I know that you’re doing this mostly for me, since I really think they’d be perfect together. But don’t think I don’t know that there’s a part of you that’s secretly doing this for Murphy, too, because you’re just as interested in playing matchmaker as I am! So let’s go out there and lie and manipulate them into admitting their feelings so we can all be happy, okay?”

 

He grins at their reflection in the mirror. “Whatever you say, Princess.” He gestures for her to go ahead of him and they make a point of looking out into the hallway before they discreetly exit their room and walk next door to meet their friends.

 

***************

 

Murphy’s not sure what clued him in, but even before they walk into the lounge before the formal dinner, he knows tonight isn’t going to be nearly as enjoyable as last night. Maybe it was his own anxiousness about ensuring that the four of them looked like the couples they were supposed to be. It could have been that he hadn’t rested well the night before and was still reeling from the conclusions he’d come to about his relationship with Raven. Or maybe it was when he saw Bellamy reach over and link his hand with Raven’s, producing a wave of resentment that rolled through him at the sight. Whichever it was, the feeling had only gotten worse when they introduced Clarke and Bellamy to Mr. and Mrs. Foster, and all the flirting he’d been unaware of last night was suddenly visible with a vengeance.

 

Elaine Foster had practically manhandled him while her inattentive husband’s gaze was elsewhere, and he’d almost struggled to inconspicuously step back from her grasping hands. He could feel Raven’s eyes watching the entire mess unfold, and it didn’t get any better when she had introduced Bellamy, because Mrs. Foster had begun eagerly pawing him during their handshake as well. Clarke was staring in horrified fascination at the whole trainwreck, but things really went off the rails when their hostess nudged Raven knowingly and told her she was a ‘lucky girl’ to have both a good-looking romantic partner and business partner, and insinuated slyly that Raven was having sex with both of them. Raven’s eyes had narrowed dangerously, she’d pulled up her shoulders to make herself a little taller and had taken a half-step forward, and Murphy had known if he didn’t get her out of there immediately, their entire plan to promote Dropship would go up in smoke. Justifiably, yes, but still, not the outcome they were hoping for.

 

His hand had gone instinctively to Raven’s back to lead her away, but the dress Raven was wearing tonight had a deep V cut out of the backside, and his fingers grazed her warm brown skin instead of fabric. He just manages to pull her from the confrontation, leaving Clarke and Bellamy to make whatever excuses and follow them, but his palm tingles from the physical contact and he feels heat rush through him as the anger sparks in her dark eyes. He spins her subtly around so she no longer faces the Fosters, and they stand off to the edge of the room where he’s directed her, his fingers still low on her back, rubbing small circles to steady her.

 

“Raven. Take a deep breath, remember we’re here for Dropship, and that woman does not matter in the slightest.”

 

“I _hate_ that bitch,” Raven hisses at him, her voice lowered and a flush across her cheekbones. “I know she thinks I’m sleeping around, because how else could I have gotten where I am, right? Women like that are worse than the men.”

 

Clarke and Bellamy join them in time to hear Raven’s comments, and it doesn’t escape Clarke’s notice how close they’re standing to each other or how Murphy’s hand is moving protectively along Raven’s back and her fingers are wrapped tight around his wrist as she tries to calm down.

 

“Bell, Murphy… why don’t you two go get us all some drinks while Raven and I talk for a moment.” Clarke’s words aren’t exactly a question, and Bellamy looks at Murphy expectantly.

 

Murphy reluctantly moves away from Raven, and her fingers slide down his wrist as he removes his comforting touch from her back and the two men walk towards the bar. Raven watches him go before turning to look at Clarke with frustration. “I know. I shouldn’t lose my temper like that, especially here. She’s just so awful, Clarke! She was so blatant last night too, her hands all over Murphy! What she said to me was just the last straw.”

 

“Hey, it’s okay,” Clarke reassures her, placing her palm on Raven’s arm with a gentle squeeze. “It wasn’t that obvious outside the four of us, and Murphy got you away before you did any real damage. Bellamy managed to say something polite before we excused ourselves too, not that any of it was our fault. We’ll just calm down about it and hope that none of us are seated near her during dinner, and maybe we can come up with a few ways to avoid her for the rest of this trip. She’s absolutely awful, you’re right, and if I hadn’t been so surprised while it was happening, I’d have joined you to gang up on her.”

 

Raven looks at Clarke gratefully. “Thank goodness Murphy acted fast. I was honestly ready to punch her, which would have ruined not just our prospects here, but could have gotten me in a lot of trouble if she had chosen to press charges. I’m upset with myself for letting her get to me like that, but mostly… I still want to punch her.” There’s a rueful smile on Raven’s face, and Clarke makes a mental note to remind Bellamy to keep Raven away from the brazen hostess at all costs.

 

The two continue discussing how to deal with future interactions with Mrs. Foster, and Bellamy returns with a glass of rosé for Clarke, a glass of Pinot Noir for Raven, and a tumbler half-full of dark liquid for himself, which Raven assumes could just be straight soda to make it look like he’s drinking. She takes her wine glass with an ache of disappointment, because although it’s her favorite, she never has red wine at a business function - it not only gets her tipsier and could stain her teeth, but she’s always been petrified she’ll spill it and embarrass herself. And with the mood she’s in now, that possibility has never been higher. She looks around for Murphy, since he knows all of this, and wonders why he let Bellamy order this particular drink while they’re here.

 

Bellamy observes Raven searching the room, and leans in to explain. “Murphy got waylaid on the way to the bar. I told him I’d grab drinks for you ladies since the guy who grabbed him wanted to discuss some business. I think they’re going to show us to our seats at the table soon - I overheard someone say they’ll be more mingling after dinner.”

 

“Great,” Raven’s sarcasm gets the best of her. “More mingling. Just what I wanted.”

 

Clarke pats her arm again in commiseration, but Bellamy was right. A chime rings out to announce that dinner will be served soon, and everyone starts to pair off and head towards the dining room to be seated. Clarke spots Murphy speaking to the bartender and goes over to him, while Bellamy winks at Raven and in a whisper, asks if she’s ready for the show as his arm wraps around her waist to pull her closer.

 

They’re taken to their seats by one of the staff and Raven sighs in relief when she’s nowhere near Mrs. Foster, instead closest to the end of the table where Mr. Foster is holding court. Bellamy is seated across from her, but Clarke and Murphy aren’t nearby, with Raven between the wife of one of the executives of Lockheed Martin on one side and a representative from United Technologies who keeps trying to look down her dress on the other. She grits her teeth, determined to do a better job of holding on to her temper, and she’s just looking longingly at her glass of red wine when a waiter unobtrusively slides in beside her to remove it, replacing it with a glass of white wine instead. She looks up in surprise, but the waiter is already walking away. Her gaze wanders down the table to Murphy, but he’s absorbed in conversation with the woman to his left, who Raven recognizes as here on behalf of General Dynamics. Murphy is probably thrilled to be seated next to her since GDC does a lot of contractual work for the military. A fond smile crosses her lips as she watches him from her peripheral vision, nodding absentmindedly as the woman next to her enthusiastically talks about her grandkids.

 

She doesn’t get to watch Murphy work as much as she’d like. He’s the only other person on the planet who’s as dedicated to Dropship Designs as she is, and as weird as it might be, the company is almost like her baby, well, their baby, she supposes. It’s…satisfying...to know that Murphy is willing to do whatever it takes to make it successful, even saving it from her if need be. She’d lost her temper tonight and instead of being angry with her behavior, he’d extricated her from the situation, rubbed her back soothingly to calm her down and then most likely fixed her drink order just to make her more comfortable. It occurs to her that she probably doesn’t deserve him, because he’s always doing kind things like that for her and she thinks maybe she just takes it for granted. The smile drifts off her face as she considers how much she’s come to rely on Murphy, and it’s only when she feels a sharp kick to her ankle that she looks up in surprise and stops her thoughts in their tracks, focusing on Bellamy across from her with a slightly disgruntled look on her face.

 

He’s giving her a tight smile and gestures with his eyebrows at the man next to him. “Honey, I think you got distracted, but Mr. Richards here was just asking whether you thought there was any legitimacy to aircraft design being affected by environmental concerns, and if so, whether you had any insight on how that’s going to play out.”

 

Raven pastes the artificial smile she employs for exactly these kinds of tactics onto her face. Just what she needs tonight - a corporate espionage attempt under the guise of faux interest. The guy probably thinks she’s going to give away hints about her designs, the dumbass. One thing was for sure, the times she _had_ gotten to watch Murphy work in the past had taught her a few more tactics to outplay the mark. She picks up her glass of wine for a grateful sip, sends another thought of thanks up for Murphy, and then proceeds to bullshit her way out of the trap that’s been set for her in a way that would make him proud.

 

*************

 

She eventually reaches the end of the interminable dinner, going through three glasses of Chardonnay in the process, but it’s a small price to pay to have kept her tongue firmly bitten instead of unleashed on the people around her. The grandmother to the right of her had actually turned out to be rather sweet, but the peeping tom next to her and the damn spy next to Bellamy had been more than enough for her already frayed nerves. She’d glanced down the table a few times to see how Clarke and Murphy were faring, and from what she could tell, it seemed as though they were having an easier time of it, for which she was glad.

 

Bellamy had waited for her at the end of the table, putting his arm around her again as they walked back into the lounge off the main dining room, and she had to give him credit - he was doing a pretty good job at being her attentive significant other. It wasn’t his fault that she couldn’t look at him with stars in her eyes, but she made the attempt to bat her eyelashes a few times, just in case anyone was watching. They barely made it into the lounge before the sweet grandma dragged over her very knowledgeable husband from Lockheed Martin to talk more with Raven, and Bellamy played the devoted boyfriend once again, happily looking at grandkid photos while Raven made some serious inroads with a major player in aeronautics.

 

When the conversation had finally reached its conclusion, business cards exchanged and a promise to be in touch, Bellamy once again steers her with a hand along her back, this time towards the bar. They refresh their drinks, and Raven was right that Bellamy isn’t drinking alcohol at all. She teases him a little, and he laughs and explains.

 

“Well one, I didn’t want to accidentally slip up and ruin our ‘date’. And two, Clarke and I are going snowboarding tomorrow, and after the tough workout that Murphy put me through today, the last thing I need is to be even more off my game. So no, no drinking for me tonight.”

 

“You’re so responsible, Bell. I could probably take a few lessons from you, honestly. I’m still kicking myself for losing my temper earlier. I can’t believe I jeopardized our reputation just because some awful socialite got under my skin.” Raven shakes her head in dismay over her almost-actions.

 

“I don’t think you were out of line, Raven. Sure, you could have handled it better, but she was really insulting you and there’s no way she didn’t know it. As crazy as it is to say, Murphy kept his head about him and no harm ended up being done by your temper. And when I think about _Murphy_ being the rational one here, I gotta say that I would never have pictured it when we were back in high school together. He was always the one _losing_ his temper. You guys make a good team though, and you have each other’s backs. That’s important.” Bellamy moves away from the bar, surprising her by taking her hand in his, and Raven considers his words as they sit down on one of the long and low couches that are scattered throughout the lounge. She and Murphy _are_ a good team, and she tilts her head for a better view of the room as she looks for him. He and Clarke are talking with another couple, and Murphy’s arm is draped around Clarke’s shoulder. Clarke’s taking her part seriously too, it seems, as she’s laughing up at him with an adoring gaze, and it’s in that exact moment, when she feels a surge of irrational anger at her best friend, who she _knows_ is in a damned committed relationship, that she finally comprehends that her emotions when it comes to Murphy are far, far more complicated than she’s allowed herself to believe.

 

***************

 

Murphy and Raven are more than happy to accept Clarke’s suggestion that the two women go to the ladies room instead of saying goodnight to their hosts, leaving that chore to Murphy and Bellamy instead. None of them actually want to do it, but everyone agrees that keeping Raven and Mrs. Foster apart is the main goal, although it goes unsaid between both men that they don’t need to share the touchy-feely details of the encounter with them afterwards either.

 

The end of the evening comes earlier than the night before, and Murphy again suggests they all dawdle before making their way back to the guest room hallway. Tonight the four of them decide to go to the indoor movie theater to kill some time, and when they arrive, they have the room to themselves. Clarke makes immediate eye contact with Bellamy, and gestures with her head to try and communicate to him what she wants. She smiles when he seems to understand her instructions, each of them maneuvering so that in the row of cushy seats, Raven and Murphy end up sitting next to each other, with both Clarke and Bellamy on the outside of the pair.

 

Bellamy fiddles with the remote, and they agree on the latest episode of a tv comedy none of them have seen yet, not wanting to stay up too late since Clarke and Bellamy are getting up early for snowboarding, and Murphy and Raven will have a lunch presentation to attend with the other industry insiders.

 

There’s an armrest between their seats to separate them, but Murphy is sensitive to how close Raven’s body is to his, their shoulders brushing and his knee bumped against hers. He wishes that his sudden revelations about her had taken place at home, where he could dissect them and take them apart with some privacy instead of having her so physically within reach. His entire world feels upended, and while part of him wants nothing more than to turn to her and confess his feelings, another part of him is fully aware of how much there is to lose if she doesn’t reciprocate. Everything they’ve built hinges on the fact that they’re doing it _together_ , and as much as it would gut him to lose the company that they’ve worked so tirelessly for, much worse would be to lose _her_. It’s almost laughable, how he let it go so long without even being aware of it, because now that he knows, now that he’s acknowledged how far gone he is over her, it seems so glaringly evident. He glances over at Bellamy, contemplating whether to pull him aside and demand to know why Bellamy hadn’t told him what’s been going on all this time, because damn it, his best friend should have seen it and filled him in.

 

He sighs, maybe a little louder than he intended, because Raven turns to look at him in concern, her head slightly cocked and an unspoken question in her eyes. Murphy does his best to look reassuring, like he’s not tied up in knots on the inside, but he can tell she doesn’t buy it when she jabs him in the side with her elbow and continues to regard him impatiently, never having been one to give up. Yeah, there’s no denying she’s his kind of girl. He manages a real grin this time, and when the concern on her face fades into a small smile of her own, he thinks maybe he’s worrying more than he should. Their friendship is strong enough to survive an awkward one-sided declaration of love, right? The question sticks in his brain like a song on repeat, and as the tv credits roll and Bellamy shuts everything off, he walks through the hallways trying to come up with the answer.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh, I feel like I've left this story hanging far longer than I intended to! I had the majority of chapter 2 written, but with the holiday season, some stuff around the house, and now the 100 kink meme, I've been BUSY! What's that you say? What's the 100 kink meme? Oh, you know - it's where you can go and prompt stories anonymously and other people can read the prompt and then fill the story anonymously. Any pairing you want! And yep, I'm working on more Murven content! It should be 'open' til 1/20/2019 for more prompts if you want to leave one. 
> 
> Hope you like the wrap up to this story, and hope each of you agree with the adage - better late than never!
> 
> KM - https://the100kinkmeme.tumblr.com/  
> MIND THE WARNINGS, FOLKS! The KM is for readers 18+, the tagging rules are clear, and if it's not your thing, don't read it.  
> *************************

 

 [](https://www.flickr.com/photos/170152452@N02/46967814915/in/dateposted-public/)

Raven sinks lower into the giant bathtub full of bubbles and rests her head along the back edge, exhaling a huge breath as if she could release all of her negative thoughts from her mind. The evening had been tiring, but as soon as she and Murphy had entered their room and locked the door behind them, she’d been fixated on the idea of a relaxing bath to help sort out the myriad feelings that had bombarded her all night. Murphy hadn’t minded, though he’d darted into the bathroom first to brush his teeth and change into his pajamas, and she thought perhaps she might stay in here until she was wrinkled and pruney, in the hopes that she’d have some insight when she finally emerged.

 

She’s in the tub maybe ten minutes, and is absolutely nowhere near figuring a single thing out, when there’s a hesitant knock on the bathroom door, followed by a few muffled words which she can’t fully hear. She might’ve picked up on ‘forgot’ and ‘want it’, but everything else is practically inaudible.  

 

“Just open the door, Murphy! I have no idea what you’re saying,” she calls out.

 

The door opens a tiny crack, and from her position in the tub, she can see Murphy on the other side, his eyes angled down towards the bedroom carpet while he repeats himself. “I said that I forgot about it, but I had asked the bartender to send your glass of red wine back to your room when he swapped it out for the white, so it wouldn’t go to waste. I just got some water from the fridge and saw that there’s a half carafe of the Pinot Noir in there for you. They left wine glasses on the table, too. Do you want it?”

 

A smile breaks across her face at the suggestion - a glass of wine could be just what she needs. “Oh my god, yes, I want it! Can you bring it in here? I don’t want to trail water everywhere. I’m up to my neck in bubbles; you won’t be able to see anything.” As soon as she says it, she wonders if maybe she’s overstepping things between them by asking him to come in while she’s in the bath. It’s true that he won’t be able to see anything, but she _is_ completely naked, and with the recent revelations she’s been having… maybe it’s more inappropriate than she first thought, actually, but it’s too late to take the request back now, since she can hear the fridge opening up again through the cracked doorway.

 

Moments later, Murphy comes through the door, glass in hand, and his gaze is fixed on the tiled wall somewhere above her head. His eyes aren’t as adjusted to the darkness as hers, though, so she can tell he’s taking cautious steps across the broad floor towards her. The large bathtub sits under a low windowsill that’s been frosted on the bottom half with an outline of a mountain range, and on the ledge are a few tall white candles that Raven had lit with some matches she’d found in one of the drawers, having turned out the overhead lights before she’d gotten wet. She sits up, leaning towards him as he gets closer, and reaches her left arm across her body for the glass as water and bubbles drip back down into the tub from her skin. He has to focus on her instead of the wall as he bends down to hand it over, and she takes it gently from his grasp, their eyes connecting in the shadowy candlelight. He starts to straighten once she has a firm hold on the wine, but her right hand quickly breaks the surface of the water to encircle his wrist, preventing him from pulling away.

 

“Thanks for the wine, Murphy,” she tells him softly, but she knows as soon as she gets the words out that it’s not quite what she wants to say. He nods, but she keeps her fingers wrapped around him, determined to keep him there while she works this out. “I mean, not just for bringing it in here, but for swapping it in the first place. And I’m really sorry I put us in a bad spot by losing my temper with that awful woman.”

 

A brief grin tugs the corner of his lips up, and he must realize he’s not getting out of the bathroom anytime soon, since he takes a seat with his body facing her on the wide edge of the built-in tub rather than staying hunched over. Raven doesn’t let his wrist go, however, even though she notices there’s now water dripping down her arm and onto the thigh of his pajama pants.

 

“I probably shouldn’t admit this, but part of me really wanted to see what happened if I hadn’t gotten you out of there.”

 

Raven huffs out a breath of frustrated laughter. “It wouldn’t have been pretty, that’s for sure. She had me really feeling furious with her comments, but I never should have let my anger take control, especially in a business situation like this one. If you hadn’t been there, I don’t know if I would have come to my senses before I really did something rash, and I could have endangered everything we’ve worked so hard for.”

 

The look he’s giving her in response to her confession is one Raven recognizes. He looked at her like that earlier tonight when he’d dragged her away from Mrs. Foster, and he’s looked at her like that countless times in the past when they’ve made decisions about Dropship and its future - it’s his ‘don’t worry, I’m going to take care of this’ face, and it’s never failed to make her feel better, whether it’s because she’s worried, or like now, when she’s done something stupid and he’s trying to reassure her. His mouth starts moving, and she knows she should be paying attention, should be listening to what he’s telling her, but instead her mind goes back to earlier tonight and the way he’d calmed her down. His fingers had rubbed warm circles on the skin of her back, and while earlier it had soothed her, thinking about it now brings an entirely different feeling to go with the heated flush that blooms across her cheeks.

 

It’s not like she’s never had erotic thoughts about Murphy before, especially back when they’d first met. He was definitely a jerk in the beginning, but that hadn’t stopped her libido from being interested. As they’d gotten more friendly, though, she’d stuffed down all those unanswered questions about how it would feel to kiss him or what he’d be like as a lover, because the timing never seemed to work out. Eventually she’d decided that she’d missed any window of opportunity with him and had accepted that close friends was what they were going to be. This trip seemed to be stirring up those questions again, starting with that damn picture that Clarke had taken of them in the backseat of her Jeep. And even though she _was_ incensed on Murphy’s behalf that Elaine Foster had started flirting with him and treated him in an objectified way, she could admit to herself that there was jealousy there too, and that had only served to fuel her fury when she’d insinuated Raven had slept her way to success.

 

It was that flash of unreasonable, sharp anger when she’d seen Clarke curled into Murphy’s side and looking at him so affectionately that had ultimately been what sealed it for her, though. There was absolutely no reason to be jealous of Clarke, fully aware that her interest in Murphy was purely for show and they were good friends with no romantic ties. But logic hadn’t stopped her gut reaction, and that’s how she knew it might not be so easy to stuff her desires back into a box again. Raven might be a lot more experienced at using her brain rather than her emotions, but even she couldn’t ignore that instinctive, possessive urge to yank Clarke far away from Murphy… Her eyes flick back up to concentrate on her surroundings when she realizes she’s gritting her teeth, a slight pang of contrition in her throat when she notices Murphy’s still talking to her and she really should be more mindful of what he’s saying. Still, she’s diverted by the darkened wet spot on the thigh of his sweatpants, and she wonders what he’d do if she just tightened her grip around his wrist and hauled him into the bath with her.

 

“Raven? Raven, are you even listening to me?” Murphy had noticed Raven’s attention wavering, but there’s a glazed look in her eye now and he’d give a helluva lot to find out what she’s currently thinking about, especially because her thumb had started to rub back and forth on the inside of his wrist. She doesn’t answer him, but the movement continues across his skin, making it more difficult to breathe, and now that his eyes have adjusted to the flickering candlelight and he’s not preoccupied with what either of them is saying, the intimate feel of sitting next to her while she’s naked in the tub is overwhelming. Raven only had it _mostly_ right when she’d told him he wouldn’t be able to see anything because of all the bubbles in her bath, or maybe it was just that it hadn’t occurred to her that the elegant line of her exposed neck and wet, bare back as she leaned towards him were things that she should count as revealing. Frustratingly, he was counting it, along with the way her hair is piled messily on top of her head and how her hand hasn’t let him go since he brought her the wine glass.

 

Taking a deep breath of the warm and scented air that surrounds them, he loosens her fingers from around his wrist and lowers her arm back into the bubbles, conscious of the fact that he’s going to embarrass himself if he doesn’t get out of this bathroom. The feel of the water on her skin again must jolt her out of her stupor, because her vision clears and she tips her head up abruptly as he stands over her, her dark eyes widening in surprise and her face pink from the heat of the bath.

 

“Hey, don’t stress out about tonight, okay? You didn’t actually end up doing anything that would cause any problems. I’m just…gonna let you finish up in here.” He takes one last look at her before swiftly turning around and striding quickly out the bathroom door, closing it softly behind him with a relieved groan. He rests against it for just a moment before crossing to the far window, unlocking it and pushing it open as far as it will go. The cold air rushes into the bedroom and cools his skin, but doesn’t do anything to combat the firestorm that’s building inside him.

 

***************

 

Clarke flicks off the light as she watches Bellamy climb into the bed beside her, both of them snuggling deeper under the comfortable blankets. As soon as he’s still, she wastes no time tucking herself into his side, a satisfied grin on her face as his arm wraps around her.

 

“I think despite a few bumps, tonight was a pretty good first impression, don’t you?”

 

Bellamy squeezes her shoulder in response. “Could have been worse, I guess, although I have to admit the evening kept my attention more than I expected it to.”

 

“What, you thought a formal business dinner as Murphy and Raven’s fake significant others was going to be _boring_?” She laughs and gently pokes his stomach.

 

Grinning, he explains further. “Well, I wouldn’t have predicted a lewd hostess, attempts at corporate espionage, breaking up a potential catfight and looking at more pictures of grandchildren than should have been able to fit in that lady’s wallet, that’s for sure. Seriously, they just didn’t stop coming, like an endless parade of strange children.”

 

Her head almost bumps him in the nose as she tilts it up curiously to look at him. “That’s actually adorable, and don’t act like you hated looking at cute kids, Bell! You _are_ going to have to fill me in on the corporate spying stuff, though - I missed that one. But I definitely didn’t miss the way the two of them were touching each other after Murphy hauled Raven away from that awful woman. Not to mention all the looks between them. _And_ how they were having some kind of private conversation in the movie room instead of watching the show. They’re getting closer to where I want them.”

 

“At the risk of inflating your ego any further,” Bellamy adds drily, “there was something else you missed that I happened to notice.” Clarke’s look of anticipation is so immediate and he’s tempted to make her wait just to tease her, but the pinch he receives on his waist is enough incentive to shorten his pause and get to the point. “Okay, okay - after dinner, I was making like a good fake boyfriend and took Raven’s hand as we walked over to some of those couches that were in the lounge. She was frustrated she had lost her temper and I mentioned how I was impressed that it was Murphy who was keeping his cool for a change. I think she was scanning the room for you guys, and she must have spotted you because before I knew it, her hand was squeezing mine so hard I thought she might break a few fingers. She was completely unaware she was doing it, and when I looked up to see what the hell she was reacting over, there’s no way she was focused on anyone but you two.”

 

“Oh my god,” Clarke squeals, abruptly sitting up and looking down at him. “Do you think she was jealous?”

 

“Can’t think of anything else it could have been, and it did look a bit cozy, what with Murphy’s arm around you, so maybe it set her off. She wasn’t pleased, that’s for sure” Watching his girlfriend literally rub her hands together at his comments and still wincing from the loud squeal near his ear, Bellamy wonders if maybe he’s helped to create a bit of a monster.

 

“This is so perfect, Bellamy, you don’t even know!” Clarke’s eyebrows scrunch together in concentration. “Okay, it’s even better than I could have planned it, but we’ve gotta take advantage of this momentum. If Raven’s feeling jealous, I am _not_ going to let this fizzle out. The next steps have to be just right.”

 

“Babe… do you think, maybe, just a bit, you might be taking this a little too far right now?”

 

“Bell, sweetie, I love you but I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this for so long, and if you mess it up, the consequences for you will be dire. Raven is my best friend, and I _know_ all she needs is a push in the right direction.” Clarke takes his hand in hers and grips it reassuringly. “Look, I know I’m overly excitable about this, but I really do think this is what they _both_ want. I’m just gonna...nudge ‘em together, and what they do with that will be up to them. But it’ll work, I know it will.”

 

“You sound sincere, but that evil little glint in your eye tells me I should still be afraid. Why is that, do you suppose?”

 

“Maybe because you know me too well?” Clarke tries to look innocent, but at Bellamy’s skeptical expression, she knows she’s not pulling it off. She throws up her hands in defeat. “Okay, fine! Fine! You’re not gonna like the next part of my plan, but we’re doing it! Tomorrow I’m kissing your best friend while you make my best friend watch, and everybody will thank me for it later, you’ll see!”

 

“Damn it, Clarke, I said no kissing!”

 

“No, your exact caveat was ‘no tongue’, not ‘no kissing’. We’re both just going to have to suck it up and take one for the team here. And besides,” Clarke smiles mischievously, “it’s not like I’m going to kiss Murphy like this.” She leans over him and proceeds to show him exactly what the difference is, and if it’s a bonus that Bellamy stops arguing about her plan, then she’ll just keep that part to herself.

 

***************

 

‘I’ll just let you finish up’, he had said, and since when had Murphy developed the ability to read her mind, Raven wondered. One minute she’d been sitting in the luxurious bathtub, apologizing to Murphy about her behavior, and the next she’d been completely caught up in a fantasy that involved pulling him into the tub with her, both of them wet and soapy, resulting in her being more turned on than she could last remember. And then suddenly she’d come back to herself, and she had no idea how long she’d been actively imagining his tongue in her mouth while he’d been literally sitting beside her. She’d stared up at him in shock, blushing furiously at the imagery in her head, and the variety of ‘finishing up’ she wanted to do wasn’t the kind of thing mentioned in polite company.

 

She sunk back into the bubbles, banging her head softly against the tiled wall as she acknowledged that she was going to have to go out there eventually and sleep in the same bed with her long-term friend, business partner and now sexual fantasy star. Last night she’d been tired and the relief of getting through their first business reception had helped her fall asleep quickly, but tonight was going to be a different story, she just knew it. Picking up the glass of wine from the window ledge, she takes more of a gulp than a sip, determined to work out a few of her problems before the water gets cold.

 

The time passes quickly, but Raven puts it to good use. Things are clearer to her after tonight’s events, and she resolutely climbs out of the bathtub and dries off, sliding into her favorite oversized t-shirt from Sinclair when she’s finished. She leaves her hair pinned up and brushes her teeth, and as she looks in the mirror, it almost seems strange not to see a noticeable physical difference when she feels like she’s come to such an epiphany on the inside. For longer than she’s been conscious of it, Murphy has been hers, and once the two of them finish this trip and get back home, she’s going to tell him she wants more than just friendship between them, and if she’s lucky, he’ll come around to the idea. In the meantime, she’s got to figure out how she’s going to act normally around him and stay committed to the business dealings they’re here for. She gazes intently at herself in the mirror again, knowing that’s not going to be an easy task when the majority of her brain has her bathtub adventure playing on an endless loop. Raven never would have thought it possible, but for the first time ever, she doesn’t want to put their company first, instead wishing she could just march out into their room, confess that she’s discovered she’s in love with him and demand that he love her in return.

 

***************

 

The next afternoon, they’re in the thick of a presentation about some new experiments regarding the thermal expansion of titanium, and Murphy really should be taking better notes, but his notebook is guiltily covered in random sketches more than comments. He’s been preoccupied ever since this working lunch started, and he’s jealous that Clarke and Bellamy are getting more snowboarding activity while he’s stuck indoors. He could go for another aggressive workout to take his mind off things…hell, might as well admit it to himself, at least - not _things_ , but _Raven_. The woman taking prominence in his thoughts is sitting to his right at the large conference table, but they’ve all had to turn their chairs to face the podium for the lecture, so technically she’s now in front of him. And his eyes keep straying to the back of her neck, on display with the intricate hairstyle she’s wearing, and it reminds him of the night before while she was in the bath, how he could see the line of her neck and ridges of her spine, and for what feels like the twentieth time, he forces his eyes away and back on the speaker, desperately wanting to loosen his tie.

 

Last night he’d rushed out of the bathroom and willed himself to relax, standing in front of the window until he felt like he could breathe without remembering the scent of Raven’s soap. He’d turned out all the lights except for the one next to her side of the bed, leaving it on the lowest setting so the room was dim. Crawling under the covers, he’d rolled to put his back towards the bathroom door so he wouldn’t have to see her and her damn long legs when she eventually came into the bedroom. He had lain there in the dark and decided that if he didn’t pretend to be asleep when she came out, there was a very good chance that he might not get through the rest of the night without revealing all his secrets to her, and it wouldn’t be fair of him to do that while they were supposed to be on a business trip and already had to keep up the pretense that they were dating Clarke and Bellamy. Throwing yet another wrench into the mix wasn’t going to help matters, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to do it anyway, especially when he’d heard her quietly open the bathroom door and climb into bed next to him. He still didn’t know exactly how he made it through the long night, but he’d woken up this morning with her cold feet tangled alongside his and his hand curved around her hip, and he’d gotten out of that bed so quickly it was a wonder that he didn’t wake her in the process.

 

It had been early enough that he knew even Clarke and Bellamy wouldn’t be up yet, with them wanting an early start on the mountain, so he’d thrown on some jeans and a sweatshirt, grabbed his swim trunks and made his way to the changing rooms of the heated indoor pool. He’d had the place to himself and had swam a punishing pace of laps until he felt more in control, only returning to their room after he felt like Raven would be awake. She’d been dressed and sitting at the table by the window with a cup of coffee, and he’d stopped just inside the door, dazed, watching her braid her hair into some sort of updo. They’d exchanged a few words and he’d been sure she was going to ask him why he was acting so strangely, but she hadn’t, and when he’d gotten out of the shower, both she and her laptop bag had been gone. She’d left a note on the bed saying that she’d gone to get some breakfast and would meet him at the conference room they’d been directed to before the presentation was supposed to start.

 

So now here he was, day three of their business trip, and while before they’d arrived he’d been fully looking forward to this opportunity, now all he wanted was to have it end so they could go home and he could cook her a nice dinner in his own apartment and somehow find the words to admit how he feels. He gives his head a slight shake just in time for everyone to politely clap for the titanium manufacturer, and he resolves to concentrate harder on the next speaker, even if he has to shut his eyes to keep them off Raven’s neck.

 

***************

 

Clarke lets Murphy lead her off the dance floor, slightly out of breath as they return to the group of tables in the private balcony of the ski resort’s club. There’s a live orchestra playing tonight and the music is wonderful and the club is packed. She and Bellamy had had a great time snowboarding most of the day away while Raven and Murphy had attended some kind of extended business lunch, and they had returned to the huge house in enough time to shower and dress for the night’s festivities. She still couldn’t believe the excess of it, but their hosts had scheduled shuttle buses to pick everyone up that evening and transport them to the ski resort, giving them all vouchers they could use at one of the multiple restaurants in the main building, and requested that everyone join them at the dance club by nine o’clock. The four of them had gotten to eat a private dinner together at the seafood restaurant the resort boasted, but Clarke was sure that there was a level of tension between Murphy and Raven that hadn’t existed before. She’d tried asking them about their day, both of them giving perfunctory responses and not meeting each other’s eyes, and even Bellamy had been surprised when Murphy couldn’t remember the name of one of their speakers, normally being so on top of small details like that when it came to their company business. She and Bellamy had filled the unusual quiet by regaling them with stories about their day on the slopes, and by dessert, the unrest had eased, all of them savoring the reprieve from having to feign romantic interest where it didn’t exist.

 

Now they’re back under the microscope of the other guests, so Murphy pulls her chair out for her and she gives him a thankful smile, watching as Raven and Bell climb up the stairway to join them after refreshing all their drinks at the downstairs bar. Clarke sips on her strawberry Mojito and waits until everyone is seated before pulling a flyer out of her purse to wave in front of them.

 

“Guys, look what I found on one of the displays in the hallway outside the restaurant! They have horse-drawn sleigh rides nearby! There’s daytime and nighttime rides, but the night ones sound so much better! They take you through the snow covered woods and there’s jingle bells on the reins and everything. We _have_ to do it!” Clarke looks eagerly at Bellamy first, knowing he’s the main person she has to convince. If he agrees, Raven and Murphy will have to go along with them since it’s a romantic outing and it wouldn’t make sense for Clarke and Bellamy to go on their own.

 

Bellamy looks around casually before he speaks in a low voice. “I’ve never been on a sleigh ride before. That does sound like a fun thing to do with my favorite girl, especially when you consider we don’t often get the chance for it. I’m in.”

 

Grinning, Clarke’s gaze skips to Raven next. “Come on, it’ll be great! The schedule for tomorrow has everyone free after the last group dinner, so we could do it any time after eight if they have available reservations, and we only have the farewell brunch the next day afterwards, so we don’t have to get up super early anyway. Look at this gorgeous picture on their brochure!”

 

Raven leans forward for a better look at the front cover, and sure enough, there’s a large sleigh filled with happy people being pulled through the snow by two huge horses, sleigh bells clearly visible on their harnesses. It does look pretty cute, and Raven’s never been on a sleigh ride either. “Yeah, alright. If they have four seats open, it does look nice.” She sneaks a glance at Murphy to see what he thinks, but Clarke’s already pushing to convince him.

 

“That’s three to one, Murphy, you’re gonna be outvoted even if you say no, so you might as well just give in. They even have an option afterwards for a campfire and hot chocolate.”

 

Murphy rolls his eyes good-naturedly at Clarke. “Fine. Consider it as partial pay back for you coming up here and doing that favor for us.” He nonchalantly tips his head towards Raven to indicate their fake dating ruse. “But I’m not taking a bunch of sappy photos where you pose us by those horses, you got it?”

 

“We’ll see,” Clarke winks, and Raven laughs, knowing if Clarke wants a picture, she’s probably going to get one whether Murphy’s willing or not.

 

Agreeing to call the sleigh company first thing in the morning to check on reservations, Clarke pulls out her phone to see the weather forecast for tomorrow night when the chatter at their table suddenly gets quiet. She looks up to see their host, Michael Foster, standing next to Raven’s seat and nodding politely at them all.

 

“There you are, Ms. Reyes! You know, I hadn’t had the chance to bring it up before now, but years ago, I was on the judges panel at the Intel ISEF, and I had the honor of reviewing one of your earlier design projects. Very impressive! Of course, you won a scholarship that year, so obviously you know what you’re doing. All my hosting duties tend to keep me from having more in-depth conversations with my guests, but I would love to discuss a few career opportunities with you - I’ve given instructions to the musicians to play a nice long number for me when I show up on the dance floor, and I was hoping you’d join me in a dance.”

 

Raven takes the hand he holds out and stands, smiling at his offer. She likes him much more than his catty wife, and while he’d never manage to sway her away from her own company, she knows Murphy is probably happy for her at the chance that’s just been offered  - Michael Foster is a big name in aeronautics, and for him to take a personal interest in her career is telling. “I would love to dance with you! Thank you for asking. Of course I remember that Intel competition,” she says, although she definitely doesn’t remember him being a judge, “and I am very appreciative that you liked my design. That scholarship really helped me out.”

 

While Mr. Foster is responding, Bellamy discreetly kicks Murphy’s foot under the table, alerting him to the rapid approach of Elaine Foster, who arrives and insinuates herself against Mr. Foster’s side. “Michael, darling, I wondered where you’d gotten off to! I’ve been mingling with our guests and everyone just loves the music tonight! I told you it was a good idea to bring everyone here instead of another dinner at the house.”

 

“Yes, Elaine, you were right, as you so often are. I like the live music as well. In fact, I was just asking Ms. Reyes here to join me on the dance floor.”

 

Mrs. Foster appraises Raven with a carefully raised eyebrow. “What a delightful idea, dear. I hope it won’t be too much for you, _Ms. Reyes_ , what with that brace on your leg.”

 

Raven can feel the eyes of her friends on her, measuring her reaction carefully, but she’s determined not to let that vile woman rile her up again, so her tone is neutral with just a hint of condescension when she replies. “Somehow, I think I’ll manage.”

 

“Good, good. Let us be off, Ms. Reyes.” Mr. Foster happily tucks Raven’s hand through his arm and starts to take a step towards the winding staircase, oblivious to the tension his wife created, but Mrs. Foster’s voice stops them.

 

“Darling, it just makes sense that I’ll dance with her _business partner_ while you dance with her. Don’t you think we should do that, John?” Her gazes rakes over him in a deliberately suggestive way, and there’s no mistaking the sly connotation she attaches to her words.

 

Murphy tries to hide his surprise at the unexpected and unwelcome invitation, but there’s no way he can get out of this without coming across as impolite, so he stiffens his shoulders and stands, offering Elaine his own arm with a slightly strained smile. “It certainly seems like the thing to do.”

 

Nervously, Clarke watches as Raven’s eyes narrow fiercely during the exchange, and if looks could kill, Clarke is certain Elaine Foster would have keeled over dead as soon as she rubbed herself against Murphy’s arm, but then Raven’s eyes flick to Murphy’s, and there’s a beat of stillness while they communicate silently. From that moment, Raven takes a deep breath and intentionally relaxes her body, and despite the awkward situation, Clarke is proud of her response. As they walk away, she can’t suppress the squeak of excitement that escapes her throat when she observes the brief but deliberate glide of Murphy’s fingers along Raven’s bare arm as he ostensibly reaches for the staircase handrail with his free hand.

 

She turns to Bellamy with a satisfied grin on her face. “Did you see that, Bell? He was definitely trying to reassure her right there. Murphy didn’t have to touch her - he _wanted_ to.”

 

“Maybe, but that doesn’t mean it was a romantic touch. He could have just been letting her know he was glad she kept her cool.” Bellamy keeps an eye on the couples as they walk onto the dance floor, and Mr. Foster was right - the band skillfully trails off their current number and starts up a slower paced song, and they all begin to sway to the music.

 

“Nope. It was romantic, I’m sure of it. I wish I could have seen Murphy’s face to see how he looked at her, but I could only see Raven’s. But I’m not changing my mind. That little finger brush was definitely flirting.”

 

Bellamy grins at Clarke’s optimism. “Whatever it was, let’s hope it was enough to keep Raven from attacking that damned woman in the middle of the dance floor. Look at that poor bastard - Murphy’s already having to stop her hand from wandering to his ass.”

 

Cringing, Clarke nods in agreement. “Ugh, Murphy’s gonna need another drink after this, and maybe a couple of showers. Let’s also hope that Mr. Foster can keep Raven turned away from them, otherwise we better be prepared to rush down there to break it up.”

 

***************

 

Raven’s listening with half an ear as Mr. Foster whirls her around the dance floor, but she deliberately keeps her eyes focused on the stage, knowing that if she spots that bitch with her hands all over Murphy, she might not be able to control her temper even though she wants to. Her emotions regarding him are too raw, too new, and even though she knows Murphy can take care of himself, the wandering hands added to the supercilious attitude Elaine Foster keeps displaying may very well push her past her limit.

 

It helps that Mr. Foster is actually quite enthusiastic about her talent, regaling her with potential career options should she be interested, but even more steadying is the look Murphy gave her in that moment when he’d had to accept the offer to dance. It was his ‘don’t worry, I’m going to take care of this’ expression again, the one that never fails to reassure her, and she really doesn’t want to let him down, especially when she can still feel the tingles that had erupted on her skin from the fleeting touch of his fingers on her arm as they’d started down the staircase.

 

She’s firm but polite and complimentary towards Mr. Foster’s attempts to woo her away from Dropship Designs, and she can tell he’s regretful but admiring of her loyalty when he reveals he didn’t expect to change her mind but had to try, anyway. They laugh together and Raven finds herself actually enjoying the dance and wondering how such a nice man managed to get involved with such a horribly awful woman like Elaine. When the song starts to wind down, he looks at her with a fond smile.

 

“Well, my dear Ms. Reyes, thank you for one of the loveliest dances I’ve had in ages. I’m disappointed I can’t lure you to NASA but I’ll be keeping an eye on your career, you know, and I have a good feeling about what’s coming next for you. Now let me steer you over to your Mr. Murphy and we’ll rescue him from my wife and just swap partners for the next number. I’m sure he’s ready to make his escape.”

 

Raven can’t hide her surprise, but Mr. Foster just laughs and dances them over to Murphy as the music concludes, and Raven decides she’s going to have to rethink Mr. Foster’s obliviousness after all as he kisses her cheek and winks inconspicuously at her.

 

“Mr. Murphy! I propose an exchange of dance partners. What do you say?”

 

“Thank you for the dance, Mrs. Foster, it was a pleasure.” Raven can tell Murphy’s lying, but to anyone who doesn’t know him, he probably sounds sincere.

 

“Now, John, I told you to stop that Mrs. Foster nonsense! You must call me Elaine!”

 

Mr. Foster takes his wife by the arm, physically maneuvering her away as Elaine tries to flirt over her shoulder, not wanting to surrender to her husband. Murphy sighs in relief when she’s out of earshot, making Raven grin as she goes into Murphy’s arms, relishing how their bodies fit against each other as his hand wraps around her waist to her lower back and a new song begins. Her left hand rests on his shoulder, her right hand clasps his, and she knows they’ve danced together many times before but this seems heightened, sharper with her recent revelations, sending what feels like a flock of butterflies to her stomach as they move to the music.

 

“So, did you get the details on the NASA benefits package,” he asks her, his voice almost a whisper and his breath tickling her ear.

 

“He did mention the superior retirement package, yes,” she smiles, “but I like where I am.”

 

They dance comfortably together although there’s an ache in her chest because she’s concealing something so important from him, and then Murphy hesitatingly breaks their silence once again.

 

“You know, I would understand if you wanted to take a position with NASA. You said for a long time that it was a dream of yours. We could figure something out to make it work if you were thinking about it.”

 

She looks up and meets his sincere blue eyes, and she doesn’t have to think at all about her answer even though it sets loose another swarm of butterflies within her. He would do that for her, if she wanted it, and the warmth inside her from being in his arms burns hotter. “It _was_ a dream of mine, back when we were still in college. But what I have now is even better.”

 

The intense scrutiny he directs at her makes her pulse race, but after a few dizzying moments, his hold on her waist tightens, subtly pulling her nearer to his body, and as a thrill ripples through her, she wonders why it took so long for her to realize she was in love with him, when it feels like there must be flashing lights, bells and whistles going off over her head to announce it to anyone who bothers to look.

 

Up on the balcony, Clarke and Bellamy are discreetly watching their two best friends hold each other on the dance floor, and Bellamy stares down at them with a slight frown on his face.

 

“They’re dancing way more cozy than business partners are supposed to, and they’re just staring into each other’s eyes instead of talking. You know, for two really smart people, they are kinda dumb when it comes to each other. Is that always how they look when they don’t know anyone’s watching? Maybe I should go down there before anyone gets the wrong idea.”

 

Clarke turns towards him and puts up her hand. “Bellamy Blake, if you take one step in their direction, I will not be responsible for my actions! Absolutely they’re dancing more like a couple than business partners - it’s about time you’re noticing what I’ve been seeing for years! Yes, they _are_ dumb - that’s what I’ve been telling you! They’re totally right for each other and maybe they’re both finally starting to realize it too. Anyway, look on the bright side - I don’t think I’m going to have to kiss Murphy tonight after all.”

 

Bellamy perks up, since that _is_ good news. “In that case, they can dance together as close as they want to and I’m not gonna stop ‘em.”

 

Frustration crinkles Clarke’s eyes. “As much as I might want to let them take things as far as possible, you’re right that we can’t allow them to dance like that for much longer, because right now it looks like they could ignite at any minute. At the end of this song, we’ll go cut in, okay? But now I’ve got an even better idea than kissing Murphy, and you’re gonna love it! What do you think of this?” Clarke proceeds to divulge her new plan, and Bellamy smiles in wicked solidarity.

 

“Now _that_ is the kind of devious scheme I can fully support.”

 

***************

 

Raven opens her eyes slowly, squinting at the faint morning sun filtering through the window blinds since she forgot to close the curtains after they’d returned from the dance club. Murphy is still sleeping next to her, and she lets her gaze roam over his peaceful, familiar face while he’s unaware of her perusal. They’d only danced together once the night before, but she wasn’t going to be forgetting the way it felt to be encircled in his arms any time soon. She’d been mesmerized, caught up in the way he’d been looking at her, and all the convoluted feelings she had for him were on the tip of her tongue, ready to to be spoken aloud when she’d been abruptly startled out of her reverie by Bellamy gently tugging her out of Murphy’s embrace.

 

It had taken her almost a minute to clear her head, but she’d eventually figured out that the song had ended and Clarke and Bellamy were cutting in to dance with their ‘partners’. Bellamy had watched her with an amused expression for the rest of the night, and usually she would have called him on it, but she wasn’t ready to answer any questions he might ask her, so she tried to loosen up and enjoy the rest of the evening with her friends. The dance with Murphy had lingered in her mind though, and it felt like it was an unfinished moment between them. As the night wound down, the remaining guests had left the club together on one of the resort shuttles, and when they’d arrived at the house, Bellamy had asked Murphy if he wanted a swim, and Murphy, looking relieved, had taken him up on the offer.

 

Clarke had eyed Raven inquisitively, but Raven had given the lame excuse that she was tired, although truthfully she had just wanted some alone time to consider the events of the evening. She’d taken a quick shower, thrown on a nightgown, and left the bathroom light on with the door slightly open so it wouldn’t be too dark when Murphy let himself back into their room. Impulsively, she swapped the pillows on the bed from her side to his, so when she tucked herself beneath the covers and laid down, it was his scent that surrounded her rather than her own. She’d never admit to doing it, and if he discovered the switch, she was definitely going to blame the housekeeping staff for the mix-up. Maybe it was the comfort she took from his pillow, or possibly the overwhelming emotions that were wearing her out, but she had fallen asleep and hadn’t noticed what time he’d returned from the pool.

 

Now she was awake, and she feels energetic enough that she won’t fall back asleep, so Raven presses her face deeper into the fabric of the pillowcase and lets herself imagine what might happen if Murphy woke up to find her so close and peering at him so wistfully. In her fantasy, he’d open his eyes and smile, unguarded in her presence. He’d shift towards her and wrap his arms around her body, and she’d tilt her face up for a good morning kiss, but they’d both get carried away and it would turn into something far more passionate as he rolled on top of her and pressed his thigh between her legs, her hands running up and under his shirt as he made her moan and push herself as close to him as she could get… Raven smothers a gasp and shakes her head as her daydream rapidly gets steamy. She hasn’t had sex in far too long, although she’s gotten herself off in their fancy bathroom quite a few times since they’ve arrived. Which is absolutely the fault of the man sprawled out serenely beside her, and the part of her that wants to throw out all her good sense is sorely tempted to lean forward, suck his bottom lip between hers and let the cards fall where they may.

 

But the bigger part of her does have good sense, so she carefully scoots backwards off the bed and heads for a cold shower. One more night, she tells herself, she can get through one more night of being in the same bed and not doing anything about it. After that, they’ll have the farewell brunch tomorrow and then they’ll be on their way home, and she’ll use the car ride to formulate the exact approach that’ll make all these daydreams of hers come true.

 

***************

 

Murphy slides behind the wheel of Clarke’s Jeep, not sure if he should be grateful to Bellamy for taking him up on his offer to drive, or annoyed that his agreement meant he couldn’t climb into the backseat next to Raven. While everyone else gets settled into the vehicle, he pops the address for the sleigh company into his phone. He’s not exactly as enthusiastic as the rest of his friends over what they’re going to do with the remainder of their night, but it’s a relief to have the last business dinner behind them and escape from that giant mansion with the various pressures it brought.

 

Clarke and Bellamy had gone into the nearby small town for some sightseeing, but he and Raven had been required to participate in some damned ‘team building’ events this afternoon, which Murphy thought was absurd. They’d ended up on different teams most of the day and it had gone by painfully slowly, but he’d tried to use the time wisely with the contacts on his team, and figured Raven had done the same.

 

In the break they had gotten before having to dress for dinner, the two of them had sat at their bedroom table and reviewed the priority list he’d created of the industry guests, each of them taking a few names to deliberately connect with for a final time before the long weekend was complete. He would have preferred to partner with Raven during the cocktail hour to help make a final sales pitch towards their targets to convince them to choose Dropship Designs for their next undertaking, but Clarke and Bellamy helped to interact with the spouses and significant others, and the evening passed by a lot quicker than the miserable afternoon. It didn’t hurt that they were all seated near pleasant people at the immense dining table, even though they still weren’t in the vicinity of each other. There would only be one more meal to get through before they’d be leaving tomorrow, and as Murphy drove through the snow covered town on the way to the sleigh ride, he was feeling confident that the trip had been a success, at least from a business standpoint.

 

On a personal level, it was a little more complicated. He glances in the rearview mirror to see Raven and Clarke laughing together over something on Clarke’s phone, and he’s struck again by how utterly foolish he has been not to realize his feelings sooner. He gets a little sidetracked reminiscing over their shared past, wondering if he’s ever missed any clues as to whether she’s ever been interested in anything more between them than friendship, when Bellamy elbows him sharply since he almost misses the turn off for the farm they’re looking for.

 

They park in a crowded lot and follow the signs pointing them towards a small building where Clarke checks them in, and it isn’t long before a guide leads them to two small sleighs, each of them with a driver sitting on a high seat behind a single horse. The guide gestures first at the dappled gray horse in front, and then at the white horse following it.

 

“Okay, your sleighs will head off in different directions, but you’ll first enjoy a ride through the open field, getting a great look at tonight’s full moon, and then the sleigh will head into the woods for a romantic change of scenery. Your package includes an interlude at a private campfire with hot cocoa and cookies, and then the sleigh will return to bring you through the remaining path back here, where you can meet back up. If you have any questions or concerns, just ask your driver! Who wants to load in first?”

 

Chaos starts to break out as Raven and Murphy both speak at the same time, each of them turning to Clarke in surprise.

 

“Romantic? Who said anything about romance?” Murphy demands, hoping no one notices the frantic tone to his question.

 

“Clarke! I thought we were all going together on one of those big group sleighs you showed me a picture of!” Raven argues, staring accusingly at Clarke.

 

Deliberately looking as innocent as possible, Clarke tries to placate them. “I’m sorry, you guys. I guess with how busy we all were today, I forgot to tell you. When I called this morning for reservations, they told me they were fully booked for the group rides, and I thought we were out of luck. But then the lady on the phone told me about these sleigh rides for two, and I really still wanted to do this even though it wasn’t exactly what we were planning, especially because tonight’s the last night we’re here.”

 

The guide opens his mouth to speak, but since Murphy and Raven are both still focused on Clarke, each of them looking at her with expressions of dismay, Bellamy takes the chance to stealthily step on the guide’s foot, pulling one finger across his own neck in a gesture meant to say ‘if you know what’s good for you, you’ll shut up’. Helpfully, the guide seems to realize what Bellamy is indicating and his eyes wide, he closes his mouth with an audible snap.

 

Murphy, however, isn’t so quiet. “That’s great for you and Bellamy, but -”

 

Intentionally interrupting before Murphy puts his foot in his mouth, Clarke decides to pile on some guilt. “Oh, come on, Murphy. Bell and I have done everything we can this weekend to make you and Raven look good. It’s such a clear night, and we’re out of that huge house and it’s all almost over. Bellamy and I really want to do this, and none of us have ever been on a sleigh ride before, and I know Raven wanted to come tonight even if you weren’t that interested. You’re not going to make her go all by herself, are you?”

 

“No, of course not, I wouldn’t leave her by herself unless -”

 

This time it’s Bellamy who cuts in as he walks between Raven and Murphy and prods them forward with his hand on their backs. Good god, these two aren’t easy, although he’s more sure than ever that Murphy protests to cover up some hidden feelings. “Then there isn’t a problem, it’s already paid for, and this is going to be fun. You two go ahead and take this one, and we’ll go behind you.”

 

Raven turns around and sends a pleading look over her shoulder to Clarke, but Bellamy’s helping her up into the sleigh and Clarke just smiles encouragingly and nods. When Murphy turns around to glare at her once he’s seated, she sends him a satisfied grin and cheekily winks at him, and as their sleigh glides away, she and Bellamy both wave happily at their disgruntled friends until they’re farther out of sight.

 

Taking her hand and helping her into their own sleigh, Bellamy follows her in, pulling the provided blanket up and over their laps, and once their driver sees that they’re seated, he starts off in a different direction than the previous sled. “Okay, Clarke, your plan has been put into action, and if either of them are upset, they’re at least upset with _you_ rather than each other. So let’s go ahead and sit back and enjoy our own romantic sleigh ride and hope they both make it back in one piece.”

 

“At this point, I don’t care which of them jumps the other first - I just want them to _do something_ already! The suspense is killing me! By the way, that was a smooth move on your part to shut up the guy who worked here. I was sure he was going to say they had availability on the group sleigh rides if we’d rather change to that, and that would’ve ruined everything.”

 

“Yeah, I’m sure that’s exactly what he was going to do, trying to be helpful. But the more of them I’ve seen this weekend, the more I agree with you that there _is_ something there, even if neither of them know exactly what it is. I couldn’t let your plan fall apart. Besides, this definitely works out in my favor, because now we get to be alone.” Bellamy hides a smile as he considers how Clarke’s subterfuge made things work perfectly for his own plans. He slides his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer, and Clarke smiles up at him, already deciding that sleigh rides are one of her favorite things ever.

 

***************

 

The silence between them stretches, and Raven’s entirely too aware of how they’re pressed against each other in the small sleigh. Despite his reluctance to go on this ride with her, after they’d pulled away from the loading area, Murphy had unfolded the heavy blanket next to him and tucked it around both of their legs, the frosty bite in the air making it only sensible, but to Raven it feels much like being under the covers in bed with Murphy does - intimate beyond just nearness.

 

The cheerful bells on the harness of the horse are loud enough to muffle any conversation from the driver’s ears as he sits on the bench in front of them, but Raven still lowers her voice when she turns towards Murphy. “You didn’t have to feel obligated to join me, you know. I could have gone by myself.”

 

“What? No, Raven, that’s not how I meant it, and why the hell would you want to go on a sleigh ride by yourself, anyway? I was just surprised that we weren’t going for the group ride,” he fibs, “and even though I was frustrated that Clarke sprang it on us last minute, you know I like spending time with you.”

 

Slightly mollified and knowing that her unpredictable emotions are making her more likely to be critical since she’s nervous being alone with him, Raven accepts the explanation and settles back more comfortably on the cushioned seat. “Yeah, I know. I was surprised with the change in plan too. But Clarke was right that I still wanted to have the experience, and they are really helping us out this week, so it’s not like we don’t owe them a few favors in return.” She bumps her shoulder against his and gives him a teasing look. “Although let’s not let Clarke know we caved so easily on this one - that way it’ll count as a bigger favor than it is.”

 

Murphy laughs, and any remaining tension between them about the sleigh ride disappears, although Raven’s butterflies over being in such a couples setting with him are still fluttering inside her stomach.

 

“As far as Clarke is concerned, I think I can manage to still look grumpy when this comes to an end, but between you and me, it is kind of nice to be outside in the quiet. And that moon shining down on all this snow certainly doesn’t hurt, either.”

 

Raven looks up into the clear sky that twinkles with stars, and Murphy’s right, the moon’s light on the snow is really beautiful. They’re in the middle of nowhere, in a farmer’s empty field, and the lights of the town are far enough behind them to not disrupt the deep dark of the night’s sky. It feels like they might be the only people around, even though she knows it’s not true, and the guide was absolutely correct when he described it as romantic. There’s not anybody she’d rather be here with than Murphy, but she wishes he wasn’t sitting beside her as her friend and business partner, that they could be experiencing this as lovers so she could nestle under his arm and they could kiss the chill away as they glide through the shadows. A shiver passes through her at the thought, and while Raven knows it’s because she was imagining Murphy kissing her, he’s unsuspecting when his eyes roam over her in concern.

 

“Cold?”

 

For lack of a better answer, Raven nods in response, and she tells herself it’s not that big of a deal when his arm wraps around her shoulders to share his warmth, but she can’t suppress the way the move sends a thrum of desire pulsing through her. Trying not to be obvious about it, she leans a little more into his side, putting the weight of her head onto his shoulder so she can continue to look up at the sky. Murphy’s cheek rests against her hair, and they stay cuddled together as the sleigh flies over the snowy field, the pair of them caught up in the beauty of the wintry landscape.

 

Sooner than they would prefer, they approach the edge of the woods, where the darkened branches stretch high above their heads and conceal the stars above, and the ride seems even quieter now that they’re surrounded by the trees on every side. Raven could be content to stay like this all night, but after a while the sleigh comes to a gentle stop, and the driver hops down from the seat behind their horse, gesturing to a roaring fire nearby. He waits with the reins while Murphy gets out and gives his hand to Raven to help her down from the sleigh, and then he hands Murphy the blanket they covered up with during the ride there.

 

“Over by the fire, you’ll find a thermos of hot chocolate and some mugs, along with a plate of cookies. There should be some chocolate chip, sugar cookies, and my favorites, the oatmeal cranberry. It’ll be warmer over there, but take this blanket with you just in case. On the off chance that you need anything, there’s a whistle tied to the thermos - just blow that and I’ll come back. Otherwise, I’ll return in about a half hour or so, and we’ll finish the remainder of our ride.”

 

They thank him and start to walk through the snow to the fire. Raven’s glad she wore her snow boots since the drifts are deeper here, but Murphy’s grasp on her arm helps ensure that neither of them lose their balance. There’s a wooden bench set a short distance from the flames, and there’s a thick cushion along the seat and back. It looks even more cozy than the small sleigh, and Raven curses Clarke under her breath as she sits down, warily watching Murphy from the corner of her eye as she takes a seat and reaches for the thermos of hot chocolate.

 

Murphy thought he was anxious when Clarke sprang her little surprise on them over the ‘romantic’ sleigh rides, but it hadn’t turned out to be too hard to keep his mouth shut when he and Raven had come to an unspoken agreement to enjoy the peaceful silence and watch the scenery go by. He’d gotten to put his arm around her under the guise of the winter weather, but here in the middle of the woods, just the two of them alone with a flickering fire and a barely-big-enough-for-two chair...well, it was going to be tougher to avoid spilling his guts all over the sparkling white snow when the intimate environment was working against him. He sits down, trying to leave a bit of space between their bodies, but hampered by the close confines of the bench. With the heat of the fire spreading through him, he tucks the blanket on the armrest rather than opening it up again. When his hands are free, Raven passes him a steaming mug.

 

She angles her knees in his direction and scoots even closer to clink her mug against his. “Here’s to a successful business trip with my favorite partner - well, successful from a project standpoint, anyway. May we continue to accomplish what we set out to do.”

 

Unsure if she means anything deeper from her slightly ambiguous toast, he nonetheless nods and bumps his mug to hers. His mind searches for conversation, but the hushed surroundings of the ethereal forest almost seem to warn him not to ruin the beauty with meaningless words. They stare at the crackling fire, and everything unspoken between them starts to feel heavy in his chest. He’s oh-so-close to opening his mouth and attempting to tell her how he feels despite the likelihood of it all pouring out in a jumbled mess, but he hears a soft curse and turns towards her in curiosity.

 

“Fuck it,” Raven mumbles under her breath, and sets her own mug down on the table before taking Murphy’s drink from him and doing the same. She tucks a few loose strands of hair behind her ear nervously while she looks up at him. “This is probably going to come completely out of left field, but I’ve been thinking a lot lately, about so many things, and it sounds sudden, but it’s really not! I mean, I’m genuinely surprised I didn’t figure it out before now, but I think maybe I was just in denial? I mean, the signs were all there, for a long time, honestly, but then it seemed like it would be complicating things to do anything about it, so I tried to ignore the possibility. And now it’s kind of snowballed and I’m rambling, but I can’t not say anything anymore, I just have to tell you.” She pauses for some air, aware that she’s not making a lot of sense.

 

“Raven, I don’t want to make it difficult for you. If you’ve decided you want to take the opportunity to work for NASA, I’m not going to be angry with you. I already told you we could find a way to figure things out with Dropship, and I meant it.” He smiles reassuringly, and Raven is annoyed with herself that she can’t communicate about her feelings for shit, apparently, and although it’s irrational, she’s mad at him too, for being so oblivious to what she’s trying to say.

 

“No! That’s not what I’m trying to say at all, damn it!” She searches his honest blue gaze, wondering how two supposedly smart people can be so clueless. Well, she’s always preferred action to words anyway, so she throws caution completely to the wind, surging forward to slide one hand behind his neck, the other gripping tightly to the front of his coat to pull him towards her, and proceeds to kiss him with everything she’s got.

 

Stunned, Murphy’s admittedly slow to realize exactly what’s happening. One minute he’s positive that Raven’s trying to tell him she wants out of their partnership, and he’s struggling not to let her see how much that might wreck him. The next minute, her mouth is sliding over his, her fingers are scratching lightly along his neck and into his hair, and it feels like he’s entered some kind of alternate reality. He’s slow, but he’s not completely stupid, and as soon as his brain catches up, he wraps his arms around her and hauls her body as close as he can. She makes a startled little noise in the back of her throat, so he takes advantage when her lips part and slips his tongue inside her mouth like he’s wanted to do for years. She tastes like hot chocolate and something uniquely Raven, and he’s never going to get enough.

 

Wishing she’d somehow had this revelation in summertime when there were no bulky coats in her way, Raven presses closer as Murphy’s hands tangle in her hair. This was even better than she’d imagined, and lately she’d been imagining his mouth _a lot_. Sure, they had quite a bit to talk about, but there’s no way he could kiss her like this unless he felt the same way she did, she just knew it. Maybe the way she was throwing herself at him was a little much for a first kiss, but the way she saw it, this had been a very long time coming. She didn’t want slow, not at all, and if she didn’t need air, she might never stop kissing him.

 

Gasping as she pulls back, she tries to calm herself down and not give in to the urge to rip his clothes off. She loves the way Murphy’s looking at her in shock, like he has no idea where he is or what’s going on, and she might laugh in relief if she weren’t so turned on.

 

Murphy licks his lips thoughtfully as they both suck in the cold air. “Maybe…maybe you could tell me exactly what you were trying to say before that happened, just so I’m clear.”

 

“I think it’s pretty obvious,” Raven grins mischievously, “but since you want me to spell it out, I don’t think we should limit ourselves to only being friends and business partners anymore. I want us to date, I want to be your girlfriend, and I want us to _definitely_ do more of that kissing, preferably with a lot less clothes between us. Is that clear enough for you?”

 

He’s listening to her, he is, but what she’s saying can’t possibly be what she’s saying. “When did this happen? Are you sure? And what if you change your mind, what if…?”

 

She puts her finger to his mouth to interrupt him. “Murphy, I know this might be unexpected, but when you think about it, it’s really not. Let me make it simple - did you like kissing me?”

 

The low growl of his voice is enough to make her blush, but it also sends a rush of desire pulsing through her to know that he’s as affected by that kiss as she is. “You know I did.”  

  
  
Raven grins self-confidently at him. “Do you want to kiss me some more?”

  
  
“Oh, fuck yes.” His hands tighten on her hips, and she’s tempted to abandon her questions completely in favor of doing exactly what they both want, but she pushes her urges aside so he’ll know how serious she takes this.  

  
  
“Does kissing me feel as right to you as it does to me?”

 

When he nods solemnly, she can see by the intense look in his eyes that he’s starting to understand. She has one last question though, before she can stop. “Do you trust me, Murphy?”

 

“More than anyone else,” he confesses, and she thinks if it were possible to float away from happiness, she’d be in trouble just then.

 

“Me too,” she tells him, and there’s no way she can keep her mouth off him any longer. Lucky for her, he takes matters into his own hands and lifts her into his lap, and there’s no talking for quite a while until their sleigh driver awkwardly clears his throat to interrupt them.

 

***************

 

Clarke stares at the shiny diamond on her finger, completely obsessed with how it sparkles. It seemed Murphy and Raven weren’t the only ones in for a surprise this evening, and when Bellamy proposed to her at their romantic campfire, it couldn’t have been more perfect. She’s wrapped in his arms now, waiting for the sleigh that will return their friends so they can pile into the car together, and she’s practically vibrating with exuberance, waiting to tell them the exciting news.

 

“Do you think I should just keep my gloves off and wait until they notice?” Clarke wonders.

 

Bellamy looks down at his girlfriend - no, he gets to start thinking of her as his fiancee now - and his smile gets bigger at her enthusiasm. “Whatever you want, babe. I’m just thankful you said yes.”

 

“Oh, like there was any question!” She leans up and kisses him for what feels like the thousandth time since he asked her, but she can’t help it and does it again. “Maybe we should just come out and announce it, or maybe we should wait until we’re in the car. God, I just don’t know, and I can barely think, I’m so happy!”

 

“That’s good to know, now let’s just hope I can keep you that way.”

 

She laughs at his teasing and winks at him. “I think we do alright, and we’ll do even better once we get back to our room.” In fact, now that she’s mentioned it, she can hardly wait. “Hey, look - here they come!”

 

The sleigh pulling Raven and Murphy is in sight, and as it gets closer, Clarke is absolutely convinced that something’s changed amongst the two. She stretches up to whisper in Bellamy’s ear. “Damn, they kissed or something, I’m sure of it! They both look like they’re hiding something. Will you be upset if we keep our engagement quiet until tomorrow instead? I don’t want to risk causing a diversion from whatever’s going on between them.”

 

“I can’t be upset that my fiancee is a hopeless romantic, so put your gloves on and try not to look so high on love or they’re gonna know something’s up with us, too.”

 

Laughing, she fumbles with her gloves and tries to contain her giddiness. “Yeah, like you aren’t also dying to know what they did when they were all alone together! And by the way, if you call me your fiancee a few times while we’re in bed later tonight, I can guarantee you’re gonna like the results.”

 

He can’t reply since Clarke’s busy pulling Raven aside and chattering all about the sleigh ride, leaving out the most important bits, in his opinion. For his part, Murphy looks rather dazed, and on a normal night, Bellamy would absolutely try to pull him aside and get him to divulge what happened, but tonight, Murphy’s gonna have to figure things out himself. Bellamy has a hot date and nothing’s going to delay him.

 

***************

 

The next morning, the four friends meet in Murphy and Raven’s room before the last meal they have to have as guests, each couple secretly thinking the other two look exhausted. Clarke’s watching covertly, looking for clues to find out what’s going on. When they’d returned to the mansion last night, Murphy had made a comment about needing to pack, Raven had immediately agreed, and the two had made themselves scarce. Clarke wasn’t exactly complaining, considering she and Bellamy had their own private celebration they wanted to get to. But still, her desire to know what had happened on the sleigh ride is gnawing at her. She fondles the diamond on her finger, having spun it around so just the band is visible at the front of her hand. Bellamy is lounging at the table with her, making plans with Murphy about the drive home, so Clarke gets up and walks into the bathroom where Raven is brushing her hair at the sink, hoping to get some gossip.

 

“I’d forgotten what a big tub this was. I’m still glad I picked the fireplace room, but tell me you got to use this tub at least once while we were here.” Clarke stares in surprise as Raven’s face goes red at the comment, and oh, there’s a far bigger story here than Clarke expected.

 

“Yeah, I used it. More than once, actually.”

 

There’s no more comments forthcoming, and Clarke is dying at the possibilities. Knowing Raven well enough not to overplay her hand, she casually goes back into the bedroom, leaving her friend to finish on her own.

 

Raven runs her hand under the cold water and pats her cheeks, trying to cool them down. Clarke asking about the bathtub after what she and Murphy had done in there last night… Damn, it had thrown her for a loop and had her completely flustered on how to answer. But after they had gotten back to their room after the sleigh ride and the huge confessions they’d shared with each other, things had gotten passionate pretty quickly, not that she minded, and at one point she’d told him all about the fantasy she’d had during the night he’d brought her the wine while she’d taken a bath. She’d barely finished telling him about it and he’d dragged her in there, and then, well then it had exceeded her expectations.

 

She finishes packing up her bathroom supplies and goes back into the bedroom, only needing to put on her shoes before she’s ready. Murphy’s pulling a wrapped box out of his suitcase, and Clarke and Bellamy are looking over a map at the table by the window. Raven sits on the bed near Murphy, assuming that the box is the host and hostess gift he mentioned earlier.

 

“So, you gonna tell me what we got them, or should we play twenty questions?”

 

Grinning, Murphy turns to face her, and the crazy little flip in her stomach reminds her of exactly how they spent the night, and most of the morning, in this very bed. “You don’t have to guess. I convinced Jasper to hack into one of the ticket databases, and he got me access to an ‘advanced sale’ for some opera tickets that Elaine Foster is going to die over. She’ll be the envy of her friends, which’ll be right up her alley. And for Michael Foster, we got him a 3d-printed model of the project that you did for your scholarship. Since he sat on the panel then, it’ll feed his ego to be able to say he was a part of your success, even though we both know he had nothing to do with it.”

 

Her smile is huge as she reaches for the box. “Let me see it! I bet it looks awesome!”

 

“You can’t see it, it’s wrapped!” When he sees how disappointed she is, he almost laughs. “Don’t pout, I got you one, too. I figured we could put it in the office.”

 

Delighted, her face lights up and she pulls him down for a kiss, but just when it starts to get really interesting, Clarke yells from across the room, startling them apart.

 

“ _I knew it!_ ” Her finger points accusingly, like she’s just spotted them doing something horrible. “When did this _happen_ ? How come you didn’t tell me? What _exactly_ went on during that sleigh ride I conned you into going on?”

 

Raven jumps up, looking like she’s just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Murphy’s sure she wants to talk to Clarke about it all, but like him, she’s feeling out of balance with how quickly everything has happened. Plus they barely got any sleep last night after both deciding that slow wasn’t meant for their situation. He swore he was going to wake up this morning to find that it was all a dream, and realizing it wasn’t made him a helluva lot more emotional than he was prepared for, and he didn’t doubt Raven felt the same. He runs a hand down her back and takes a step forward so he’s beside her, presenting a united front. When it’s clear Raven’s still struggling with how to answer, he figures he can take this one.

 

“Well, I don’t know, Clarke. We probably would have told you sooner, but we were waiting for you to announce your engagement first.”

 

Clarke’s eyes get wide, Bellamy laughs and Raven practically shrieks in his ear.

 

“What! Oh my god, you _are_ wearing a ring! Show it to me! Did that happen last night? How did he ask you?” The two women race over to each other and talk so excitedly and quickly that Murphy has no idea how they understand one another.

 

Bellamy walks over to the dresser and accepts the congratulatory handshake that Murphy offers him. “So tell me, Murphy. How is it you can notice a ring on Clarke’s finger this morning, but for years you didn’t realize you were in love with Raven?”

 

“Honestly, I have no idea since the more I think about it now, the more it feels like I fell for her the first night we met. You could’ve filled me in, you know.”

 

“And keep you from this epic journey to maturity? Nah, my way was much more fun.”

 

Murphy thinks a piece has just clicked into place for him as he reflects back on the past few years. “Why do I suddenly have this feeling that Clarke isn’t the only matchmaker in your relationship?”

 

“What can I say? Monty and Harper, Jasper and Maya… you and Raven. My record’s three for three now, and it works even better when Clarke thinks it’s all her idea. So since you owe me a favor or two recently, you’re gonna keep this between you and me, especially because if you do, I’ll let you in on my next project.”

 

“Nah, you can keep that all to yourself, and I’ll just be surprised along with everyone else. I’ll keep your secret, but I’m planning to have my hands full from here on out with a few projects of my own.” Murphy looks over at Raven as she admires Clarke’s ring, and he grins to himself at the thought of what the future holds.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Psst - hey, you! Yep, you! Did you know that a new round of The 100 Kinkmeme is coming to tumblr and Livejournal, and that it's all totally anonymous and that you can suggest prompts for story ideas, specific pairings OR you could fill them with your own wonderfully smutty interpretation?! It's true! You can! You SHOULD! Go follow - https://the100kinkmeme.tumblr.com/
> 
> ps - I'll be picking back up on my WIP come January! Don't worry, it will be completed! It's just been a super busy holiday month!


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